


Growing Pains

by The_Fanfic_Train



Series: Growing Pains [7]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Coming of Age, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, I don't want to put much more in and spoil it but it's going to be a cute!!! family!! Story!!!!, It's the sequel to Silk and Lace!, Kravitz is both a stripper and a social worker, M/M, Modern AU, Previous Trauma, Relationship Problems, Self-Discovery, Taako adopted Angus and is dating Kravitz, Taako was a convicted criminal that had been framed by the one who's name must not be spoken, The hurt is pretty mild imho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:54:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25120483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Fanfic_Train/pseuds/The_Fanfic_Train
Summary: Taako, Kravitz and Angus are happy together as a family. Very happy. But Kravitz is ready to get married and Taako isn’t, and Angus is finally starting to realize just how different he is from other kids his age. It’s been five years since the adoption, and the growing pains are setting in.(Sequel to Silk and Lace- can be read as a stand alone fic but it'll make more sense if you read the first book!)
Relationships: Angus & OCs, Angus McDonald & Taako, Barry Bluejeans & Kravitz & Lup, Barry Bluejeans/Lup, Hurley/Sloane (The Adventure Zone), Kravitz & Angus McDonald, Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone)
Series: Growing Pains [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1781458
Comments: 70
Kudos: 107





	1. Taako- Perfection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako's life is perfect. 
> 
> Well, almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't read Silk and Lace yet, I HIGHLY recommend you go do that before reading this one! It's 96k words, so it's a lot longer than this fic, but if you haven't read it you might be confused by what happens!

Taako's life was perfect. 

Ever since he won the trial against Sazed, cleared his name, and adopted Angus, his life had been on the up climb. About a year post-adoption, he and Kravitz had started alternating weekends at each other's apartments, and by the time another six months had gone by, Angus and Taako had moved into the man's apartment full time. Taako originally suggested that they move into his apartment, or a new one altogether, but Kravitz had explained that by adding in a studio with a pole for him to practice on he had already gotten rid of his security deposit, and it would be ideal to not throw that money away breaking a _second_ security deposit.

And it kind of worked? Kravitz had turned the master bedroom out of his apartment into the studio for more room to practice, so they had been able to cram their double bed in the corner and still give room for the man to dance, all the while giving Angus his own room- Kravitz's old one.

Angus was sixteen now, and it made Taako's head spin just thinking about it. The boy had finished high school when he was fourteen and had since entered college to study chemistry as an undergrad to later learn how to be a crime scene technician, meaning that he spent lots of time with his Aunt just pouring over different equations and arguing over reactions. Barry too- although he tended to lean more criminal justice than science, describing how _sure, that's possible, but bud, I don't think that makes a ton of sense?_

Angus had never grown out of sleepovers at the Blupjeans', but Taako sure as hell had. Kravitz had started teaching _both_ of them how to drive, which was wild- his kid, who was practically not a kid anymore, was learning to drive. The little kid Lup used to carry around the house was now almost as tall as him, and just as thin and scrawny- covered in acne that spoke volumes for how much he had grown as if his recent growth spurt wasn't shocking enough.

Sometimes, when Angus would pass out on a couch after a rigorous exam, Taako would tuck him in much like he did when they first met. A soft blanket first, than a heavier one, each tucked in on the left side and then the right, sealed with a kiss on the forehead for the promise of good dreams.

It seemed ridiculous, but more often than not he looked at Angus and bemoaned how quickly he had grown up. 

He could not say the same for Kravitz. He was _better_ , but they still had issues. He had never grown out of his workaholic tendencies, often forgetting to go grocery shopping because he was hyper fixated on his newest placement- he still never remembered to buy milk, but he was better about watering plants and had never forgotten to pick up Angus from school. The couple still wanted to adopt a cat, and Kravitz was almost giddy when Taako had brought it up again, but they agreed that they would _only_ get one once Kravitz proved he could sustain life of any form. Merle had given them a succulent, and on one of their more recent Chug 'N Squeeze dates the pair had made a flower pot that had 'practice cat' carved into the water tray. More than once, Taako had walked into the living room and heard Kravitz whispering "please don't die," to the small plant, which was equal parts endearing and horrifically incriminating to his boyfriend as a nerd.

They were going to get a cat whether or not Kravitz killed the succulent, Taako had decided. He was too damn sweet- it was just unfortunate that most of the care would be _his_ responsibility, since Kravitz was occasionally a bit of a space cadet. 

But, again, never with Angus. Angus ended up joining a local soccer team with kids his age to help him make friends, something that both of his dads had been pushing for for awhile. Angus seemed to have fun- he liked the sport and he hung out with his teammates for a while once practice ended, so it seemed to work alright. Kravitz was always there to pick him up once he was done, and drove him to school and back when possible. 

It wasn't something he liked to admit, but Taako wasn't so sure he'd have been a great dad for Angus if it wasn't for Kravitz. Not only was Kravitz something of a rare find- a gay person with his license- but he was also a lot more emotionally sensitive and aware. He knew Angus' history even better than Taako since he was present for all of the aftermath. Kravitz was also more reasonable (although you'd never hear him admit it) when Angus had problems at school. Taako's suggestions always tended to be suspension-aligned, where Kravitz went more here's-how-you-can-prevent-this-from-happening-again-WITHOUT-knocking-them-unconscious. But on the other hand, he wasn't sure that Kravitz would have been a great dad without _him_ \- Kravitz was firm and regimented where Taako was fun and chaos. When Lup and Barry had fostered Angus, Taako had the privilege of being Angus' uncle before becoming his dad, and that had pretty solidly morphed his parenting style. They made it work as much as possible, but at the end of the day, Angus tended to not need much parenting.

Because he was _grown up_ , and if Taako thought about that anymore he was going to cry, which did not seem very Taako-like of him. So he didn't. It seemed like a waste of a day that was perfect as it was, and a few tears wouldn't stop the boy from continuing to grow. Taako's life was perfect.

Well, almost.

There was just one teensie tiny little thing that was very not perfect. Taako could take Kravitz forgetting to buy groceries, he could take it when their laundry got mixed and his white shirts turned grey, and he could take it when Kravitz woke him up in the middle of the night repeatedly from tossing and turning. Those were annoying, but they were _Kravitz_ , and being mad at him for doing any of those things would be inherently wrong. But this? 

It wasn't like Taako didn't know they would have to have this conversation at some point. Kravitz had, more than once, mentioned that at some point he'd really like to get married. Really, _really_ like to get married. They were walking in a park the first time he mentioned that he'd like to have an outdoor wedding someday, Taako had shut him down. Hadn't even responded, simply changed topics immediately. Kravitz had taken the point, and it didn't come up again. Not for a few months, at least.

The second time it came up, the two had been dressing up for one of Kravitz's work parties, and Taako was wearing a white cocktail dress.

"You look really beautiful in white," He had complimented, running a hand across the satin skirt. "Do you think you'd wear a dress or a tux if we got married?"

"I'd probably just wear the same things I wear all the time. No point in dolling me up everyday." He deflected.

"To the ceremony, darling," Kravitz laughed, making Taako shrug.

"I don't know. Hypotheticals, right? Would you rather fly or be able to turn invisible?"

He'd been a little quiet after that one, but that just meant the message had been received. They'd also been watching more Say Yes to the Dress recently, because they _loved_ criticizing bridezillas, but more often than not, Kravitz would listen to Taako's critiques and nod along. "I think you'd look good in it, though," He'd say every time Taako finished, and despite Taako's retort of "I look good in _everything,_ babe," every time, Kravitz would just kiss his cheek and roll his eyes. "You know what I meant. You'd look _extra_ good."

Slowly, their reality TV time became more and more wedding centered- Kravitz was into Australia's Cheapest Weddings, Four Weddings, Married at First sight- more and more and more, as if he was using it as a gateway to get Taako's opinion on different parts of wedding ceremonies and to open the conversation. 

Was it clever? Yes. Was it Working? Yes. Did it make Taako uncomfortable? _Yes._

His last marriage hadn't exactly ended in happily ever after, so _forgive_ him for being a little anxious about tying the knot again. Kravitz wasn't Sazed, something he had proved time and time again over the years, but he was not interested in being in _any_ sort of position of weakness ever again. Sorry, Kravitz, but Taako's already had one husband ruin his life. He didn't need a second.

Kravitz seemed to disagree.

Angus was in his room, likely reading, when things came to a head. Taako had managed to talk his way out of a marriage based TV itinerary for the night, convincing Kravitz to watch the Circle with him, and things had been going well. Conversation was light and breezy, talking about how people dressed, things they said, how they presented themselves, and then, during an uncomfortable lull as they waited for the next episode to load, Kravitz pulled away from their cuddle to look at Taako.

"Hey, can I talk to you about something?" Kravitz asked, reaching out and pausing the video.

Ruh roh.

"Depends, handsome, what's up?" Taako picked at some dirt under his nailbed.

"I want to know- If I proposed to you- not now, of course, but in a few weeks, a month, maybe- what would you say?" 

"I... uh, Kravitz," Taako swallowed uncomfortably. "You know that I- um, really, really care about you, right?"

"Yeah, I know. And I know that it's not something that you're super interested in, but it's really important to me." Kravitz reached out to take one of the hands Taako was picking at, forcing the man to look at him. "I've been dreaming about getting married since I was a kid. I've always wanted to start a family of my own, and you and Angus- I can't imagine life without either of you. I love Angus like he's my own- I've known him since he was five years old and _flinched_ at the sound of his name. I was with him when he celebrated Hanukkah for the first time. I bought him his first birthday present. I love Angus with every fiber of my being, and if anything ever happened to us, I'd still come visit him. He's my son too, and I love him. And I love you. I've never dated someone who has so much passion for what they do. I've never met someone so confident in everything that they do- from flirting to massive life decisions to- god, Taako, everything. You respect _yourself_ , and it's one of my favourite things about you. You make me laugh, you support me as Kravitz and you support me as Grimm- you know how I take my tea, and I've never loved someone who cares so fiercely before. And- I'm thirty five. I'm not getting any younger." One of Kravitz's hands tucked hair behind Taako's ear. "I know it's scary for you, but I'll protect you. I promise."

Taako wanted to run away. He wanted to do what he did before he started dating Sazed seriously, when one of his hookups got too serious- he wanted to slide out of the apartment and find Lup, and have her feed him cheap noodles until he felt good enough to laugh about whoever it was that was obsessed with him then. But Angus was here, and Angus was his kid, and he couldn't leave him here.

Kravitz wasn't Sazed. He wouldn't hurt Angus if Taako left them here alone together. He was being irrational, he knew it.

But he couldn't leave- he wouldn't run out on Kravitz like that. He wasn't Sazed. He wouldn't hurt the man like that because he was a little anxious.

"Can I talk to Lup about it?" His voice was small.

"Yeah," Kravitz's features softened, and he pressed a kiss to the back of his boyfriend's hand. "Of course. Anything you need. Do you need to go now?"

"No, I'll stay." He glanced at the television. "But can we not talk about this anymore?"

"Yeah, that's okay- do you want to keep cuddling, or do you need space?" Kravitz asked, making Taako bite his lip.

 _He'll be okay if you ask for space. You can trust Kravitz_.

"Is that even a question? Get over here," He disobeyed his heart and opened his arms for his boyfriend, settling against his chest.

He needed to talk to Lup, asap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back at it again!! As you can see, the chapters in this are going to be a lot shorter than they were in Silk and Lace (like a third of the length) and each chapter will follow a different character as we move our way through the story. Next chapter will be Kravitz, where we'll be doing some more expedition of the main plot before we start on Angus' sub/other main plot. Because this is another fic with several chapters I'm going to be going back to my upload-on-even-numbered-day schedule, meaning that the next chapter will be up on the 12th!! 
> 
> Thank you for reading (especially if you've been following this AU since Silk and Lace!! I recognize usernames in both the comments and in the kudos, and you're very appreciated!!!) and for leaving any kudos or comments- they're greatly appreciated <3
> 
> Please stay happy and stay safe! <3


	2. Kravitz- Lemon Tea with Honey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kravitz visits Lup and Barry, and soothes Angus' anxieties.

Kravitz was not at all worried that Taako wanted to talk to Lup- hell, he had been there just a week before to do the same thing. Technically, he had been there for work, checking in on one of his most recent placements, but the kid was _fine_ , and Lup and Barry were good foster parents. It was just a formality. That being said, he tended to go, hang out with the couple and check what he needed to on his way out- rather than doing a full check every time.

They were _fine_. They were good parents, and they were also his closest friends other than Sloane and Hurley. He trusted them.

Even if they loved to tease him.

"I _can't_ believe you haven't asked him yet," Lup said condescendingly as she held a toddler in one arm and stirred a pot with the other. "You've been thinking about it for weeks."

"I don't want to upset him." Kravitz frowned at the newspaper on their island counter.

"And if you had said that to us two weeks ago, bud, we'd have been very accepting and thankful." Barry sipped his mug of coffee. "But this is getting out of hand."

"It took you six years to ask Lup out," He responded.

"And two to get engaged!" Lup reminded. "That's the easy part, Krav. Taako loves rings, and you're just giving him an excuse to wear more. Also, tax benefits. Taako's cheap as hell."

"Taako's only cheap as hell when it comes to things like paying for electricity and rent. He has expensive taste." Kravitz said, making Lup shoot him look.

" _Exactly_. And that's why you should ask him to marry you, because you're the only boyfriend that's ever understood that."

"Also, the only boyfriend we've ever liked," Barry piped in.

"And the only boyfriend who is pro-pillow fort."

"And the only boyfriend who is willing to spend time with us."

"And the only boyfriend who will drink tequila with me."

"You two have very different priorities," Kravitz glanced between the two of them.

"We're two different people. Don't try to distract us, babe," Lup jerked her head at Kravitz, so he sighed and stood to give her a hand with _god knows what_ \- "we're talking about how you don't have the balls to tell my brother that you want to _wed_ him. Is the issue that you don't know how to propose? Because we'll help! It's really easy."

Barry nodded, even though Kravitz was too distracted by Lup pushing carrots and green onions his way to see. "Buy a ring, get on one knee, and ask. Taako would be an idiot to say no."

"He would be an idiot to say no- but just- don't ask him in public, make it special, don't make him feel obligated to say yes. Make sure the ring fits." Lup ticked things off her fingers, setting the now fussy toddler down. "Trust me. If you have to return it because it doesn't fit, that'll be enough time for him to start doubting himself."

"Taako also likes shiny- it's better to get a lot of really small diamonds than a big one." Barry added.

"But there should also be a focal point." Lup said. "Something big that he can show off-"

"I'm not worried about buying a ring," Kravitz cut her off, "I've been buying him jewelry for years. I think I've got it down to a science- I'm just going to take one of the rings from his other hand that I know fits. And there's no point in doing any proposal planning until I know that he's even _interested_ , which has been a pretty solid no so far."

"Well, I guess you'll be waiting for a long time, huh bud?" Barry snorted. Lup glared at him as she moved by to grab something from her pantry, grumbling something about 'being nice'.

"I think you should just go for it, Kravvy," she said softly. "He'll take convincing, and he might even refuse once or twice, but I know my brother. You're the longest relationship he's had outside of Sazed- and, honestly, at this point, we're getting pretty close to surpassing that. And this is not my place and I get that, but babe? He likes you way more than he _ever_ did Sazed. He's lived with you for three years, and not _once_ has he complained or said that he needs to move out. He complained when he was living with _us_." 

The toddler from earlier ran back in and tugged on the edge of Lup's skirt. "Luly! Up!"

"Luly?" Kravitz smiled at the blonde as she dropped what she was doing to lift the child into her arms.

"I think she's been listening to Taako call me Lulu too much," She replied, pressing a kiss into the little girl's hairline. "It's cute, though."

"It is, and you look good holding a baby. When exactly are you two going to go bite the bullet?" Kravitz glanced over his shoulder at Barry, who suddenly seemed very interested in the grain of their counter top. "I thought you two were planning on adopting _years_ ago."

"Yeah, well," Lup shrugged. "Y'know, we've been busy. Finished the basement, got a room for Angus, all that. I'm starting an experimental treatment at a hospital soon, and Maggie keeps bringing his puppies over for the kiddos. Lots going on."

Kravitz opened his mouth to ask about the treatment but decided against it- Lup and Barry had been rather open with him, and he didn't want to take advantage of their kindness and overstep. "Well, if you ever want more going on, I just place a set of twins in a foster home around twenty minutes south of here. Really cute- I could get you guys a meeting if you wanted. Before anyone else gets the chance. First dibs and all that."

"Twins?" Barry perked up. "We've talked about adopting twins- we both think it would be ideal, since we wouldn't have to separate them."

Lup hummed slightly, but didn't pay much mind, tasting the sauce she was making. "I'm sure they'll find a good home, wherever it is."

"I think we should give it a shot Lup," Barry said. "I mean, who knows? Maybe they'll be perfect for us. I know you're hoping for that thing, but it's experimental for a reason, babe. If it works out, great! The more the merrier. But if it doesn't, maybe we should go visit the twins just in case?" He suggested, and Lup sighed.

"We'll get back to you, okay Krav? I think Bear and I need to discuss a bit more." She informed. "Hey, you staying for dinner?"

"No, I should probably get going. Taako likes it when Angus and I are both home so we can eat as a family."

"You're missing Lup's delicious cottage roll," Barry shook his head, making Kravitz laugh as he began to gather his things.

"Tragic."  
  


* * *

  
"Where's Dad?" Angus' voice snapped Kravitz out of his reverie and back into the present. It was the day after the couple's late night discussion and Taako had informed his partner that he would not be home until late. Immediately after work, he would be going over to visit Magnus and would not be home until early the following morning.

"He'll be back tomorrow- he's with uncle Magnus," Kravitz told his son, attempting to relax some on their couch. 

"He's with uncle Magnus?" Angus raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," He repeated as Angus came to sit next to him. "I think they're drinking tonight, so he won't be home until late."

"Are you two fighting?" 

"What?" Kravitz shot him a look.

"I know that being in a relationship is hard, it's okay if you're fighting. Can you tell me what's wrong? I don't want you guys to split up and I want to help." He scooted forwards, and Kravitz had to hide his horror at the prospect.

"Your dad and I are _not_ fighting, and we are _not_ going to split up, Angus." He said firmly, pulling Angus to sit closer next to him. 

"Then why were you guys all weird at breakfast today? And now dad isn't coming home," Angus frowned, "Come on, I'm sixteen. I can handle it. Are you fighting? What are you fighting about?"

"We're not fighting. We're just- we're just not seeing eye to eye right now." Kravitz sighed.

"Isn't that just a euphemism for fighting?" Angus raised an eyebrow.

"No, because to fight you have to be angry with each other, right? And I'm not mad at your dad and I don't think he's mad at me. And we're going to talk about it, no yelling. Promise," Kravitz lifted his pinky, making Angus smile. The boy lifted his hand and linked it, something the two had done for almost a decade.

"You better not be lying," Angus told his father.

"It's been eleven years, Angus- when have I ever lied to you?" Kravitz leaned forwards to kiss his forehead. "So, since dad isn't home to cook, it's just us- how to you feel about pizza?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been listening to Amnesty recently and y'all.... when were you going to tell me that I was sleeping on this entire story arc... I took a break from listening to TAZ after commitment to hyperfixate on balance but listen... the story telling is IMPECCABLE and I cannot on my life believe that I listened to the set up episode for this arc and then nothing else when I could have been binging it.
> 
> Amnesty aside, here's the second part of this fic! Next chapter goes up on the 14th, and that will be an Angus chapter! I'm really excited to start delving into his main conflict because it's something that hits close to home and I think I'm going to be able to tell it in a way that isn't just "oh poor Angus" so much as "Oh I see, he's different" (I'm being cagey because I don't want to spoil it... basically, this is not going to be a pity party for Angus because my boy deserves better).
> 
> I'm still going to be doing one shots in this universe once this fic is over, so if you have anything you'd like to see you can either leave it in a comment or drop it in my ask box on tumblr @choo-choo-boyzz
> 
> Thank you for leaving your comments and kudos! Again, next chapter is up on the 14th- stay happy and stay safe! <3


	3. Angus- Wall-Pass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wall-Pass: In soccer games played by boys in streets, the ball was often rebounded off a wall rather than passed to a teammate.
> 
> Angus goes to soccer practice, and then has some questions for his dad.

The energy in the apartment was weird. His dads had disagreed before- it was inevitable when you were trying to raise a kid and the three of you lived in a glorified shoe box- but they had always been quick to find a compromise. The only people who hated his parents fighting more than Angus was _his parents_ \- and they always seemed to spend a few days after they had figured it out being grossly mushy with each other. That in itself wasn't inherently awful- but it was more that his dads would be snuggled up on the couch and Angus would be trying to work on homework and they'd whine until he joined them. 

It had been a week, and they hadn't hit the gross mush fest. His dad- Kravitz dad- had let slip that his other dad- Taako dad- needed to go see aunt Lup but she wasn't letting him come over until one of their immune-compromised children had gotten over their cold to discuss something, and supposedly they couldn't fix the weirdness without her, which was _great_.

On the bright side, soccer practice was a great step away from _thinking_ so much about his dads and worrying, even if it left his heart pounding and his lungs gasping for air.

They had just finished a passing drill that involved lots of running and finesse and footwork, and Angus' legs were screaming as he plopped down onto the grass and took a deep drink from his water bottle. After his drink he laid back against the cool grass for a few moments of peace before he was called back onto the field to resume practice. A couple of teammates joined him, cursing their coach as they sat on the grass.

"Fucking brutal," Scott grumbled. "You can't just make us run ten laps of the field and then do a passing drill. Do I look like I give a shit about endurance?"

"Don't let coach hear you say that," Angus said quietly as a few more came to lounge with him. 

"Hey, McDonald, why were you so shy earlier?" Tyler asked. "Usually you love to debate strategy with the captain."

"Not feeling it," He shrugged lightly. "My dads have been weird recently."

"Oh," Tyler nodded in understanding. "Yeah, my parents got divorced like two years ago. It happens, y'know? And it's really not that bad- double Christmases, and if one is mad at me I just go stay with the other one, and I don't have to listen to them fight all the time- they're both way nicer and happier now. It's no biggie."

"I don't think they're going to split," Angus furrowed his brows, "I think they're just having a rough patch."

Scott gave him a look. "Uh, sure, bud. You do realize that a rough 'patch' is just the start of a field, right?"

"I guess?" Angus glanced at his teammates. "I don't know."

"Hey, well cheer up! Another dance just got announced in two months- Pete has offered to smuggle you in again. You got a girlfriend or boyfriend you're planning on bringing?" Tyler asked.

"No, I'm still single." Angus looked up and watched a cloud roll by. 

"Man, is it that you're too shy? Cause we can all hook you up." Scott offered.

"No, the problem is not that I'm too shy," the mere idea made him roll his eyes- spending years around Lup, Taako, and Magnus had thoroughly squashed any initial shyness, "I just haven't really been interested in anyone."

"I think Kiyoshi is still looking for someone to go to the dance with," Tyler said. "And I know Zaina said she wasn't looking for a date to the dance, but I'm _pretty_ sure that was just because she has a crush on you and was hoping that you'd ask."

"I mean, I guess I'll give it a shot." Angus said non-committedly as the coach called for practice to resume. Kravitz had texted him around noon that day, saying he wasn't going to be able to drive him home from practice with an apology (supposedly one of his coworkers was having issues with a prosthetic and he needed to help open, and Angus was _rather_ content not thinking about that part of his father's life so he let it slide with no further questions) meaning that Angus was supposed to take the bus home. Key word: supposed.

Good ol' Aunt Lucretia, pulling _through_. 

He hadn't really been close to her until a few years previous, right around his fourteenth birthday. He saw her for birthdays and Candlenights, and that was it- but his phone had died (meaning he couldn't call for his ride) and he was in walking distance to her apartment, so he had buzzed in and prayed she was home. They called Taako, and then Angus sat with his aunt in the living room, listening to stories from the time when she was once his father's boss. She had given him her cell number, promising that she would come get him if he ever needed her- or if he ever needed to get away from all the rules at home- and he had started taking advantage of her offers. She bought him lunch in exchange for company, and whenever Kravitz couldn't get him she'd pick him up from school. 

Secretly, that was- Taako had found out he was mooching rides off of Lucretia and told Angus that that was _not_ her job and that he shouldn't call her willy nilly just so he didn't have to take the bus. And then he told Lucretia, and she was so offended by the prospect that it _wasn't her job_ she nearly called Taako to fight.

Angus was very glad he had managed to talk to two down from world war three, promising Taako that he wouldn't get rides from her anymore unless she offered and telling Lucretia they'd just work in private. And, in the words of Aunt Lup- "A couple of well-placed lies never hurt me."

"Thanks for coming and getting me, Aunt Luce," Angus slid into the passenger seat.

"No problem," She gestured to the milkshakes in her cup holder as she pulled out of the parking lot, but she didn't have to. It was her M.O. at this point- if she was picking up Angus from soccer practice, she had gotten him a mint chocolate milkshake and a vanilla one for herself. "The whole point of working out is so you can eat more, isn't it?" She would always say if he refused, and it _was_ his favourite. Sometimes, he wondered if Lucretia was worried that he preferred Lup over her- so he had been putting in more effort to go visit her when he had a day off school.

"How were your friends?" Lucretia asked him, and Angus shrugged.

"There."

"Corporeal."

"Extant." Lucretia laughed.

"Conscious."

"I wouldn't go that far," Angus said, and his Aunt laughed again. 

"So I'm assuming practice left much to be satisfied, then?"

"Yeah," Angus sipped his drink and leaned against the soft interior of Lucretia's car. It was _nice_ being in a car that was clean for once- Dad-Taako always cluttered his junk in Dad-Kravitz's backseat, Magnus carried lumber in his pick-up truck, and no matter _which_ car he sat in, whether it be Lup or Barry's, there was _always_ cheerios stuck to him by the time he got out.

Also, her air conditioning worked. A huge plus.

"How was work?" He asked her, and she pressed her lips together. 

"I've been ghost-writing a new book recently, and I'm worrying it's starting to interfere with the paper," she sighed, "A couple of years back, your dad wrote a piece about how more parents should adopt teens and the benefits associated with it. It was really impressive, so I've been working on something to expand on that, but- I mean, my day job comes first." She sighed. "We're here- remind Kravitz that we're supposed to be having dinner together next week, will you? He never responded to my text."

"You got it- thanks Lucretia!" He jumped out of her car. "See you!"

She waved as she drove off, leaving Angus alone to head inside and see his dad.

Taako was standing over the stove, stirring a stir fry in his pan. He glanced up as Angus let himself in, smiling lightly.

"Hey, dinner will be ready soon. Go ahead and grab a quick shower, yeah?"

"Yeah sure- um, can I ask you something?" Angus thought about what the boys said to him on the field. 

"Yeah, what's up little man?" 

"When did you know that you wanted to be with dad?" He asked.

"Honestly, pumpkin?" Taako gestured for Angus to join him at the stove, upturning his nose at the stench as he wrapped his boy up in a hug. "He's always been my type, but if I had to pin it down, maybe when he came over for art therapy with Magnus. Or maybe it was Auntie Lup's wedding. For sure by the time he started coming by my place every night to help with the lawsuit- it's- sort of difficult to put my finger on, Agnes."

"Don't call me Agnes to try and distract me," Angus elbowed his dad. "I just wanted to know."

"And I don't mind telling you, but maybe we can have this conversation after you shower," Taako pulled his arm off his son and gave him a gentle push. "Dinner's going to be ready in ten. Don't make me wait."

"I will," Angus smiled at his father's scowl, "Love you."

The scowl turned to a disgusted face. "Don't push your luck. Shower, D'jangus."

Angus then proceeded to take the fastest shower of his life, knowing that his dad really _would_ be in a better mood if he hurried- barely toweling off his hair as he threw on some comfy clothes and headed out into the main room once more.

Taako was already setting the table, but Angus went ahead and took the cutlery from his hands to finish the job so he could return to the stove and dole out plates. As the two finally settled to eat, Taako drank from his glass of water. "What we were talking about, kiddo?"

"There's a dance coming up soon and I'm trying to figure out who- if anyone- I should bring." Angus filled in. "So I asked about how you figured out that you wanted to date dad- how did you even know you were ready to date?"

Taako shrugged. "I mean, I wasn't really big on dating growing up. I knew _could,_ but it wasn't really for me. I think I had my first boyfriend when I was your age. I just- uh, wanted gifts and attention, and having a man sort of lined up with that."

"Sure, but how did you even know you wanted a man? Like, how did you even figure out you were gay?"

Taako choked on his pasta and went pale. "Um, maybe ask your dad- Kravitz- about that one. He probably has a better answer than I do. Trust me, Angie, you _don't_ want to hear that story. His is probably all poetic and bullshit- I bet he realized he was gay when he kissed his crush under a slide in kindergarten or something. But, in my case- I, uh- I just _knew_. And you'll probably just _know_ too."

"What's wrong with your story?" Angus tilted his head.

"Nothing, pump, but _trust_ me. It's not a story you'll want to hear and it's not one I want to tell." Taako promised. "Anyways, you don't need a partner to bring someone to the dance. Just pick someone cute. If anything, that's better- way cheaper, less effort, less commitment. Or just go with your friends as a group- Aunt Lup and I used to do that sometimes."

"But they're all bringing their girlfriends," Angus pouted.

"I mean, it's up to you, kiddo," Taako shrugged.

"Maybe I just won't go," Angus took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "I mean, I don't go to school with any of them anyways, and other than practice a couple of times a week we never talk."

"Or maybe you'll make new friends that you like more, Ang," Taako suggested. "You know Carey and Killian? Lup and I's friends from college? I like them fine, they're good people, but they could never hold a candle to Magnus. He's like a brother to me. Sometimes, people just stumble into your life and become impossible to let go of- maybe _that's_ when I realized that I wanted to date your dad. When I realized that life was better because he was in it, and I wanted to be able to maximize the amount of time we spent together." He went sort of quiet as he stirred the food on his plate. "That was why we moved in together, after all."

"Speak of the devil, sounds like Dad's home." Angus glanced over as there was the tell-tale noise of a deadbolt being slid out of position.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Kravitz said, slipping inside and locking the door behind him. "It was supposed to be a slow night, but it was surprisingly packed- double bachelor parties."

"Don't worry about it," Taako brushed off the apology and turned to Angus. "Are you done with your dinner?"

"Oh, yeah," Angus glanced down at his empty bowl. "Thanks for cooking."

"Don't worry about cleaning," Taako said as Angus went to put it in the sink. "Can you go to your room, please?"

"Uh, why?" He shot Kravitz a look, who seemed equally as worried.

"I just need to talk to your dad. You're not in trouble- we'll clean up when we're done. Don't you have homework?" Taako said. "Go work on that."

"Okay," He looked between his fathers a couple of times. No point in staying- if they were going to argue, at least they were going to do it behind closed doors.

He sat down at the desk in his room and flipped to the assigned reading on phonology and morphemes, but his brain couldn't help but wander. Tyler had been so convinced that his dads were going to split up, but Taako had seemed so... not passionate, but invested, talking about Kravitz? A little sad, maybe? He couldn't quite read his dad's emotions over their conversation, and then there had been the answers to his questions. He was just supposed to know?

But he didn't, and surely Taako had known that he was asking specifically because he _didn't_ know? And he never said whether or not he thought Angus should take a date to the dance. On one hand, he'd be a loner if he didn't- on the other, he didn't really know anyone he wanted to ask and he wasn't interested in being rejected. Especially not if he wasn't even that interested in the person in the first place.

He dropped his head against the surface of his desk and groaned. He was _never_ going to finish his reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just finished Amnesty... and I cannot believe I just let Griffin McElroy play me like this twice... smh... you would think that I would learn from Balance.....
> 
> Next chapter goes up on the sixteenth!! We're still pretty firmly in set-up zone- longer chapters should be coming relatively soon (for sure by the time we loop back around to Angus). I'm going to keep my note short- I've got my first D&D session as a DM this weekend and I'm freaking out about it so I'm going to go review my notes and pray for things to go well.
> 
> If you'd like to see anything in this series (one shot or drabble) you can go ahead and send me a note to my inbox @choo-choo-boyzz on tumblr! I'm pretty active on there, and I'm also always available to answer any questions you may have <3.
> 
> Thank-you to everyone who's been leaving comments/kudos! It's really amazing and validating as a creator to receive positive enforcement. I'll be back in two days, stay happy and stay safe! <3


	4. Taako- Conditions

The first thing Taako did when he heard Angus' door shut was grab Kravitz by the collar of his shirt and kiss him senseless. The second thing he did was hug him.

"I'm not going to lie," Kravitz said, chin on top of Taako's head as he held his lover to his chest, "I'm a little surprised to receive such a warm welcome."

"Am I not allowed to miss my man?" 

"You are," Kravitz pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "It just caught me off guard. I thought you wanted space."

"I did," Taako mumbled into his chest, "but then I realized that being without you sucks."

"Likewise," He squeezed once more before glancing over at the stove. "Is there any leftovers? I haven't eaten yet."

"Yes- help yourself," Taako almost pushed away from Kravitz, hurrying to grab two glasses of wine. It was unreasonable, his sudden anxiety- Kravitz was more of an _I'm-upset-and-now-I'm-crying_ type rather than an _I'm-upset-and-now-I'm-yelling_ type which helped some, but Kravitz liked to _talk_. Likely from years of handling children, Kravitz saw problems and decided that the best course of action was to sit down and talk. He wasn't a roll-with-the punches type- he was a okay-you've-punched-me-and-now-I-feel-hurt-can-we-talk-about-why-you-punched-me-and-figure-out-how-to-stop-this-from-happening-again-because-I-don't-like-being-punched-and-I-don't-want-to-make-you-angry-enough-to-punch-me-again kind of guy.

"Hey, Taako? You alright?" Kravitz gently took Taako's hand into his own, rubbing a soft circle into the latter's knuckles with his thumb.

"Peachy, ghost rider. Why?"

"Just seemed a little zoned out," He murmured, lifting their joined hands together and pressing a kiss against Taako's skin. "What're you thinking about?"

"How I missed you, I guess," a cursory glance over his shoulder showed that Angus was still in his room, so he looked back over to his partner. "Hey, Krav? Sounds like Amelie is finally feeling better so I'm going to go over to Lup and Barry's tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?"

"I think I should probably sit this one out, but thank you for offering, babe." Kravitz said gently, giving his hand a squeeze. "It's been a while since you and Lup have had twin time just the two of you, right? That's really important, I know it is- maybe we can plan to have dinner with them later this week. I like Lup, and it's always nice to see Barry, but they're your family first and my friends second, right? Besides, if I'm there, they might try and sugar coat it to not hurt feelings. I think it'd be better if you can just lay it all out and talk objectively- am I making any sense? I don't want to make it seem like I'm avoiding seeing them."

"No, I get it," Taako nodded. "But you're only going to get out of it this once, babe- next game night, we're going to run you into the ground."

Kravitz laughed softly. "I wouldn't expect anything less."  
  


* * *

  
Taako loved his sister very, very much. Even when they were living in a studio apartment with one bed and she would kick him as they slept, even when she stole his skirts or wasted his ingredients to make an obscene amount of banana bread or pumpkin loaf or lemon loaf or- well, you get it- at the end of the day, she was his better half. They were adults now, meaning they spent less time together, but it always sort of felt like walking with one shoe. The world was different without her, slightly off kilter- but together, they were batting a thousand. He'd set up a joke and before he could even breathe, Lup had it finished- she was the only one who knew how to braid his hair perfectly, just tight enough to stay without hurting his scalp- he taught her how to walk in heels and then she taught him how rollerskate.

He fucking hated her sometimes, but damn it, he never did. She was his best-friend, his heart and soul, and his life partner.

And she was going to do one of two things when he entered her home. 1) she was going to yell at him, or 2) she was going to laugh at him. Neither seemed especially promising.

"Lup! It's me, let me in!" He pushed her doorbell several times, trying not to let his anxiety show. And that lasted about three seconds.

"We _gave_ you a key," She sighed, looking him up and down. Her gaze seemed to linger on his left hand for a moment before stepping out of the way to let him inside.

"I forgot the key at home. Give me a break." He pushed past her. "House is quiet. Where is everyone?"

"Krav called and gave us the heads up that you needed someone to talk to, so he volunteered to take the kids out for a walk. It's just us and Lowanna, but she's playing in the den. What's up, 'Ko?"

"Kravitz is- he's asked me to marry him." Taako followed her into the background, and she hummed in understanding.

"Congrats, kiddo- welcome to the domestic club. I was starting to think he didn't have it in him."

"I haven't said yes," He said, grabbing a blanket to burrow under on her couch, making her narrow her eyes. 

"You said no?"

"No, I said I wasn't sure and I needed to talk to you," He mumbled, fiddling with the hem of the blanket.

"Uhhhhh," She sat down next to her brother and glanced him over, "Taako, babe, I say this only with the deepest form of love and respect for you and your decisions- why the _fuuuck_ would you say no?"

"Because I've already been married, and that didn't go so great?"

"Uh, yeah, but that's cause you married Sazed and he's a dickwad." She rolled her eyes, watching her toddler fiddle with a block puzzle. "Kravitz is cool."

"Sazed wasn't super awful until after we got married." He defended, making her roll her eyes again.

"He got _worse_ after you got married, but that doesn't mean he wasn't super awful before," She lifted her hand to begin ticking things off her fingers, "He was against you being around anyone who wasn't him, he was transphobic, he didn't like it when you did things that made you happy that he didn't like, you only went on dates when he wanted to- need I go on?"

"What exactly is your point? You're really _not_ making me feel any better about putting another ring around my finger, Lulu."

"Don't Lulu me," She elbowed him, "My _point_ is that Kravitz is nothing like him. Name any boyfriend, hookup, _whatever-_ name _one_ that would hang out with Barry and I on his own accord. Kravitz was our friend before he was your boyfriend- you remember that, right? That we've been friends with him since like- six months before you got released from jail. And if that doesn't mean anything to you, did you know that three weeks ago he went over to Magnus' and helped him set up the new kennel for the therapy dogs he's training? Or a month ago, when Magnus complained that he didn't have anyone to go to the zoo with, did you know that Kravitz took him and Angus?" Lup nudged him some more. "Speaking of, don't even get me started on Angus. You do realize that he's helping raise your kid, yeah? I mean, babe, you're practically already married."

"We are not," Taako retaliated with a nudge between his sister's ribs, making her squeak at the impact.

"You are. You live together. You guys have a kid. Taako, _Barry and I_ don't even have a kid." She said. "Really, all you'd be doing is getting a piece of paper that makes you eligible for _hella_ tax benefits. And I guess, eternal love and that gross shit. Anyways, who knows! Maybe remarrying will help you move past your husband-based trauma. Kravitz is a cool ass dude, and he'll take care of you." Taako didn't respond, mulling her words over. Technically, she had a point (even though he'd never say that), but he wasn't exactly a fan of inflating her ego so he held his tongue.

After a moment, she bit her lip. "And, I mean- 'Ko, you two aren't getting any younger, you know that, right?" She said softly. "Not to- I'm not trying to scare you or anything, but Kravitz has a compromised immune system and a couple of fucky heart valves- don't tell him I said that, he hates it- anything could happen at any point. He mentioned once that when he was born, he was only expected to make it six months. Maybe he's tougher than he looks, maybe he's lucky, but- I mean, babe, if something ever happens, wouldn't it _suck_ to be stuck outside his hospital room because you're not immediate family?"

That one, unfortunately, struck a cord within him. He had been present when Kravitz had had the battery changed in his pacemaker, but the man had described it as "kind of like getting a couple of teeth pulled". But Kravitz _was_ fragile, and really, _anything_ could get him sent to the ICU- a bad spout of pneumonia, a car crash, heart attacks- 

"I don't want to pressure you, 'Ko," Lup snapped him out of his head, pulling him back to reality. "If you're uncomfortable, don't. There's no point in making yourself miserable to make anyone happy. And you _know_ I'll be on your side no matter what you do. But Kravitz loves you and I know you love him back, and I really think this could be good for you." Her hand pushed a strand of loose hair behind his ear. "And besides, it's an excuse to dress up and pose for lots of photos, which I know you love. Now grab Lowanna and pick an ice cream flavour- Baskin Robins is open until ten."  
  


* * *

  
Taako let himself into the apartment past ten- it hadn't been his intention to stay out so late, but Barry had come home and insisted that he stay to hang out, but the kids had to be put to bed, and Lup had to fill him in on what they had discussed, and- basically, what should have only have been a couple of hours ended up being a six hour visit.

The light was off in Angus' room, meaning that he had probably fallen asleep- good. As much as he loved the kid, it would be best if he didn't walk in on his dads negotiating. Taako turned off the light Kravitz left on for him in the kitchen, pausing out of the studio-turned-bedroom to listen. There wasn't any humming or page turning, meaning that he probably wasn't in bed. Pushing the door open confirmed his suspicions- He was exercising on the pole, wireless headphones playing music as he supported his weight with what was occasionally only a hand at a time. It wasn't something Taako had ever really gotten used to- he knew Kravitz like the back of his hand, but this was Grimm. Light and carefree, able to support himself as though he weighed nothing. Every time Taako had accompanied Kravitz to the closet, he would swing around as he danced, but the man was sitting still. The pole was tucked into his crossed legs and into his folded arms. His eyes were closed, seemingly focused on endurance and the music rather than performance, which was fine with Taako. Made him easier to surprise.

There was no point in muffling his footsteps as he approached- the music covered any sign of his approach as he crept forwards. Pushing onto his tippy toes, Taako was able to press a gentle kiss to his boyfriend's lips. It was only a second, but when he pulled away and opened his eyes, Kravitz was smiling and had opened his eyes. The dancer dropped to the floor, stretching lightly as he thumbed out his earbuds. "Hey, how did it go-"

"I'll marry you," Taako sputtered out before he could stop himself, "but I have some conditions."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are so short my brain is almost melting.... It kind of feels like I'm rushing through these early bits. The next (Kravitz) chapter is a little bit longer, and the (Angus) chapter after that is going to be even longer than that, so we'll finally be back to a regular chapter length! (I'm still not sure if I'm thrilled about this chapter-per-POV set-up, because it feels more jerky and less smooth, but I also tend to write updates at eleven at night so maybe that's it...)
> 
> Next chapter is going up in two days, on the 18th! If you have any requests for this AU or just want to say hi, my tumblr is @choo-choo-boyzz
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's been leaving comments! It's greatly appreciated. I'll be back in a couple of days, so please stay happy and stay safe!!! <3


	5. Kravitz- Chamomile Tea

"Well then, let's hear it," Kravitz slid the earpieces back into their charging cases and sat on the bed, turning to look at where Taako rested against the pole. His fists were clenched tightly, likely to minimize fidgeting, as he watched him closely. "What are you thinking?"

"First and foremost, Angus- he's still my kid at the end of the day, and if this doesn't work out, I still get full custody. Non-negotiable."   
  
Kravitz nodded. "I'm okay with that, as long as I'm still allowed to come visit him."

"I get final say on all things Angus, too. If he's going to spend the weekend with Davenport and Merle or whatever- I'm okay with that, but I have to be told ahead of time. Also non-negotiable. And I'm not willing to get married unless I'll have my full license and access to a car whenever I need it," At that, Kravitz tilted his head in confusion, but continued to listen, "I want a small wedding. Just family and close friends- I don't want the news all over me again. People will make all sorts of stories about me, and I don't want it to effect myself or Angus at all. I'm willing to debate the guest list with you closer to, but Lup, Barry, Magnus and Angus _have_ to be there. That's also non-negotiable.

"Tied into the car thing- if I need to go see Lup, I can go whenever I want. If I need to go visit Magnus, I can go whenever I want. That one- I mean, unless it's a bad time, that one also isn't up for debate. Life around here isn't going to change that much, absolutely non-negotiable- we'll still go to the Closet, you'll still hang out with your friends and I'll still hang out with mine, and we'll still visit our families. We'll still do game night over at Lup's and we'll still spend time apart. Our bank accounts are going to stay separate, and we'll continue to pay equal amounts in rent. And," Taako took a deep breath, "again, I want this to be pretty low-key. So no proposal- or, if you really want to, I guess you can, but keep it private. Just us."

"Taako," Kravitz said, feeling profoundly confused, "Of course. Absolutely, to all of those things. None of those things are why I want to marry you, and if I'm being honest, I'm a little mortified that this is even a conversation we're having to have. I don't want to get married so I can micromanage your life and control you. I'm not doing this because I want to feel like I have power over you- we're partners, babe. You're my double in lazer tag, my teammate in euchre- we have a _kid_ together, we've won lawsuits- we're a team, Taako." He extended a hand carefully. "Will you come sit with me? I think I'm starting to understand a little more why you were so hesitant."

Taako took his hand, letting himself be guided to the edge of the bed. They were still sitting rather far apart, but Kravitz continued holding his hand as he spoke in a soft tone.

"Taako, the reason I want to marry you is- well, there's more than one, but the big one? I love you. And I know you have problems saying stuff like that, but I've gotten pretty good at reading you, and- I want to be able to reassure you that, for the rest of our lives, we'll be a team. We'll _always_ be a team, no matter what happens, because you're the love of my life and the best thing to happen to me. I think I've told you before that I've always wanted to get married, and it's because I want to give my moms a chance to see me at my wedding. They missed a lot of my key developmental milestones, and I want to be able to give them at least that one. And Lup never got to see you at yours," Kravitz squeezed Taako's hand gently, "and I know she definitely wants the excuse to stand up and tell a speech exposing your tomfoolery, just like how you did for her when she married Barry.

"A lot of people describe their weddings as the best day of their life, and I'd like to see you that happy- not just then, but every day for- well, forever. I want to see you in a tux or gown or _whatever_ you want to wear, and see you looking beautiful surrounded by people you love. I want to see you smile because you _feel_ just as beautiful as you look. I want you to think of getting married and only have good thoughts, and I want to be able to put a band on your hand that'll remind you every time you look at it that there's someone in this world who loves you unconditionally not because they have to, but because they choose to, every waking moment- I want you to see your wedding band and be reminded that I'm in your life and that I want to spend it making you happy whenever I can.

"I prefer to buy you jewelry rather than wear it myself, but I think having matching bands would be nice. And 'my husband' sounds so much better than 'my boyfriend', and- I mean, if you're looking for a more fact-based argument, I technically have no legal affiliation with Angus. I can't take him to the doctor's, I'm not even recognized as a guardian, so I can't even do things like parent-teacher meetings. I just- it'd also be nice to make our family real, and to be able to say 'I'm his dad' and not have that be questioned." He took a beat and shrugged, "and, uh, tax benefits, and all that."

"Lup already mentioned that one," Taako squeezed his hand.

"I know- she told me it was a good strategy," Kravitz admitted.

"She knew about this?"

"Yeah. She's been pressuring me for weeks." Kravitz stretched again, muscles stiff from the exercise. Still holding onto Taako's hand, he laid down onto his back on their soft sheets and shut his eyes. It _was_ rather late, unfortunately- and Taako was on dessert crafting tomorrow, so a full night of sleep would be best.

"Krav? You know that I, um, yeah, you, right?"

Kravitz slid one eye open to look at him. "Yeah, babe, I do. And I um yeah you too."

"Don't be a prick. We're having a moment. Listen, I want to do it. Love you, and stuff, um, and I trust you, so, uh, let's get the wedding bells ringing, yeah?"

"Babe, I don't want to make you uncomfortable- maybe there's a compromise we just haven't thought of. I bet there is one." Kravitz hummed softly. "Just have to figure it out."

"No compromises," Taako fell down next to Kravitz on their sheets, pressing a kiss to his lips before resting his cheek on the man's chest. "It's important to you, and I trust you. And so does everyone whose ever mattered to me, which says a _lot_."

"I'll make you happy, I promise," Kravitz kissed Taako's forehead. "Now I've just got to figure out how exactly I'm going to propose to you."

"You could just leave me a ring on the nightstand. I'd get the hint."

"Sure, but I think you're worth more than that. That seems like a lazy cop-out." Kravitz yawned. "You deserve better."

"Are you going to make me plan my own engagement?" Taako teased.

"I'd never- just trying to make sure I don't fuck it up so bad you have to refuse on principle. Does the idea of a quiet night in do anything for you? Angus can spend the night with Barry and Lup, and we'll have a candlelit dinner with roses and my quote-unquote 'bad' sappy music?"

"That's too much," Taako snuggled in closer. "Babe, don't stress. It can't be that bad."

"That's not terribly reassuring."  
  


* * *

  
The flat was tense once more, but now for a different reason- Kravitz promised Taako that he would propose within two weeks time, and by the time the first week was up, he was ready to go. Angus had been jittery with excitement when Kravitz had broken the news and they had been floating in a limbo of _soon_ , _but when?_

"Is it behind the curtain?" Angus was asking as Taako opened the door after his night at work.

"Oh, nooo." Kravitz shook his head.

"Is it in the plaaant?" 

"Nooooo."

"What are you two up too?" Taako raised an eyebrow at them, hanging a rain poncho with manta rays onto their coat rack.

"I'm solving a mystery," Angus grabbed his dad's hands and pulled him into the living room. "We're trying to find something."

"Find what?" He asked, glancing between the two. "Did one of you lose something?"

"Oh, nooo," Angus suddenly copied Kravitz's tone from earlier.

"Nooo, not lost," Kravitz agreed.

"Is it under a couch cushion?"

"Nooo," Kravitz shook his head, making Angus smile a little wider.

"Alright, you two have caught my attention. If nothing's missing, what are you doing?" Taako huffed, dropping his work bag on the couch and glancing around the room.

"We're playing a game." Kravitz said.

"And I'm solving a mystery." Angus declared.

"What mystery?"

"The mystery of 'how long will Taako be home for before he finds it'- so far, two minutes." Angus glanced at his watch.

"And what game are you playing?" Taako turned to Kravitz.

"How long can I stall Taako from finding it." He grinned, making Taako roll his eyes.

"Charming. Did you buy take-out?" He asked, moving to open the fridge and check inside.

"Noooo," The two shook their heads.

"And we've established that the thing I'm looking for is not under a couch cushion or in a plant, correct?" Taako humored them, dumping his keys in the bowl by the door.

"Mmhm," Angus nodded, "It's not behind the curtains either."

"Well, I'm not seeing it right away, so I think I'm going to change out of my work clothes." Taako said, heading towards their bedroom.

Kravitz and Angus trailed behind until he opened the door to the room, when suddenly the two swooped in and grabbed something off the nightstand.

"Oh, he found it!" Angus pressed the stopwatch function on his watch and beamed "Ten minutes, not bad- but _solving_ it is the hard part."

"What are you two clowns up to?" Taako raised an eyebrow and sat, looking over at his boys.

"It's for your dad, Angie- why don't you give it to him? A little gift from both of us," Kravitz suggested.

"And what exactly is it?" Taako asked, taking the box as Angus handed it to him. 

"Just a fun little thing Magnus and I whipped up together," Kravitz shrugged. "That's just the case though. The good part is on the inside." 

Angus started a new timer on his watch and beamed at his dads. "I'm going to go- good luck, dad! I _think_ you can figure it out."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Agnus," Taako rolled his eyes as their son left the room. "So, is there just a magical button I push and pop this baby open?"

"There's a couple of buttons, actually, and three little rotating knobs." Kravitz pointed them out. "Magnus and I had quite a bit of fun designing this."

They _had_ had quite a bit of fun. First up had been practicality- Magnus had agreed with Kravitz that the box should be easy to open, but have lots of red herrings to keep Taako busy. Despite all the buttons and keys, all that Taako _really_ needed to do was grab along a certain seam between the wood and pull. And, once they had gotten the mechanism figured out, they had spent the rest of the time decorating the outside. A nice, dark wood (it _had_ been light, but they had agreed that a dark stain would look better) along with several hand carved images on the sides. Magnus had wanted to do it for free, but Kravitz had insisted on paying him for it, but even still, looking at the piece of art in front of him, Kravitz felt as though he had severely undercutted the man.

He owed Magnus dinner for- well, forever.

Taako spent the rest of the night fiddling it, trying combination after combination to attempt to open the box. At around ten, Kravitz headed to bed- he asked Taako to join him, but the man refused, saying that he was _this close_ and that he wanted to crack it.

So, when the door to their room slid open, Kravitz didn't look up from his book. In all honesty, it wasn't much later and Taako really hadn't been that close at all, so he was pretty sure his partner had given up.

"The ring is really beautiful, Kravitz," Taako said, sliding into bed next to him and pushing the book out of his hands. He may have lost his page, but- oh well.

"I'm pretty good at judging your tastes, darling." Kravitz slid off his reading glasses (a recent addition to his life, something he was still getting used to) to look over at Taako.

"Yeah, you are. You gonna put it on me? I don't think I'm supposed to do it myself." Taako handed him the box (sans top, must still be in the living room) and Kravitz pulled out the ring. _Will you marry me?_ had been painstakingly carved into one of the inner walls, and the ring was resting in a holder in the base.

As he pulled out the ring, Kravitz decided that he owed Magnus dinner _and_ drinks for forever. 

"I love you, Taako." Kravitz muttered as he pushed the ring onto his fourth finger.

"I- gods, I love you Kravitz," Taako threw his arms around Kravitz, pulling him tightly into a hug.

"I love you too," Kravitz laughed gently, holding him to his chest. He paused for a moment. "Angus is probably still awake. Should we tell him the good news?"

"Nah, he'll probably be mad if he finds out he missed me opening it. I'll have to fake it again tomorrow."

"You're a good dad." Kravitz pulled Taako in a little tighter.

"I'm going to be an even better husband- just you wait."

Kravitz couldn't sleep that night- his cheeks were sore from smiling and he felt so loose he could fly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The puzzle box mentioned was nicknamed "the grip" from the hellraiser collection (i think??? I don't know anything about puzzle boxes but this is the video I found it in) Here's the link: https://bit.ly/38UTP9s


	6. Angus- Booter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Booter: To boot the ball in soccer is to kick it hard and long and usually high; an aimless, thoughtless sort of wallop that is the very antithesis of good soccer. 
> 
> Angus goes on a couple of blind dates.

It was easy to pretend that life was normal again now that his dads had figured out their shit out. Unfortunately, life was not so clear cut, meaning that Angus was still over his head in solving his own issues. Scott and Tyler from the soccer team had sent him on two blind dates to try and find him a date to the dance, both of which had been unsuccessful on large.

He'd gone out with Zaina first- the girl who originally said she was going solo, but Tyler was convinced she was waiting on Angus. Which was- side note, utterly ridiculous to him- he'd spoken to her once, maybe twice. Sure, she was nice enough, but Angus hadn't really felt as though they had much in common. It had started easy- they bussed over to a plaza with a dollarama, grabbed snacks, and walked a block to the movie theaters, got in and started sharing their treats. Going on dates was sort of like hanging out with friends, or like hanging out with Aunt Lup. Dating was _easy_ , he could do it. The movie went pretty well, though it's almost impossible to have it go wrong- he just sat in his seat and paid attention, and Zaina remained quiet next to him. As they left the screening, Angus began to feel uneasy- Zaina seemed significantly less interested, spending more time looking at her phone and texting her friends. They'd grabbed burgers for dinner, and she had squished into the same side of the booth as him even though there was _plenty_ of room on the other side (confusing... why would she do that? There was two sides for a reason). They discussed the movie a little as they ate, but silence hung rather uncomfortably above their table. She kept leaning _into_ him to grab things, which _also_ didn't make any sense... he _offered_ to move the ketchup closer but she refused, saying it was fine where it was.

"You gonna put your arm around me?" She had asked eventually.

"Do you want me to?"

"What do you think, McDonald?" She elbowed him. "C'mon, I'm dying here."

She shuffled closer, and he abided her request, immediately struck by how _uncomfortable_ this was. His dad- Kravitz- did this to him all the time when they were watching ninety-day fiance together, and he never once complained, but it only took a couple of minutes before he felt the circulation lessening in his right arm. Besides, Zaina was _not_ his dad- he barely knew her, and even though he may have outgrown his shyness, it seemed he didn't outgrow his aversion to being touched. Especially like this, he decided, as he sat there with Zaina pressed to his side. Maybe he was gay, like his dads- that'd probably make Taako happy- but this wasn't doing anything for him. He'd much rather be home, reading or taste-testing Taako's newest invention- but this wasn't quite for him. Sure, Zaina was really pretty- her hair was dark and silky and she had large almond eyes- but he didn't see much point in playing with her.

They left the restaurant holding hands, which was much better than the arm-around-the-shoulder thing- felt more platonic, in a weird way, which worked better for Angus. He had his first kiss/make-out session with Zaina while waiting for the bus, and all he could think was 'how much longer is this going to go on for?' Her bus pulled up and she pulled away, giggling lightly and pressing a kiss to his cheek as she headed up the stairs and into a seat, tapping her bus pass as she did.

Angus, following that, had been ninety percent sure he was gay, because, in all honesty, he didn't see that night being worth repeating. That was, of course, until he went on his second blind date- the one with Kiyoshi.

Kiyoshi was _also_ cute, but in a different way. He had a good nose, a nice jawline, and long but well-kept hair- he was a little shy, compared to Zaina, but honestly, maybe that was better? They ended up going to an arcade for their date, which was better and worse. Better, because (as Tyler and Scott had laughingly teased him) he was _supposed_ to put his arm around a girl while they were at the movie together, and he _didn't_ , and at an arcade he didn't have to. Worse, because there was not much to talk about in between rounds of skeeball and heartattack (side note, Angus wanted to bring his dads here to play that one- he had a feeling Taako would get a kick out of the two dancing elves). They shared a cheese pizza and talked about school (but they were at different levels, so it didn't go well), learning to drive (Kiyoshi's moms didn't have a car, so it didn't go well), and their mutual friends (Tyler, who only had so many interesting things about him, so it didn't go well). On the brightside, there was no uncomfortable kiss at the end of this one, but Kiyoshi did give him a once over and go "I can tell you're not into me. Let's just go," right as Angus opened his mouth to ask about whether or not Kiyoshi thought there'd be any good prizes to trade their tickets for. Which was incredibly embarrassing, although Kiyoshi had the good sense to not comment on it.

(There wasn't any good prizes).

He rode the bus home alone, feeling thoroughly conflicted- he hadn't enjoyed either date, and hadn't really been attracted to one more than the other, which was odd. Wasn't that how being gay or straight worked? That, even if it was a bad date, you still had a preference towards one person? Was the issue that his sample size was too small?

Then there was also the Taako-Kravitz issue. 

He'd asked Taako about how he'd known and gotten something that was barely a response, let alone an answer-the promise of _he didn't want to know_ and _you should really talk to your dad if you want something poetic_.

So he did, and Kravitz wasn't much better- He got flustered, _um_ ing and _ah_ ing his way through a flimsy excuse before going "you should really talk to Taako, Angus. Um, I feel like this is a discussion to have with him."

"I tried, dad," Angus frowned, "he told me to come see you. Said his story was too inappropriate to share."

Kravitz winced, "Um, well, unfortunately, so is mine- uh, but if you really want to know, I was sixteen and working at the clubs and a co-worker took her shirt off and-"

Angus promptly _nope'd_ out of that conversation. And if that was _Kravitz's_ story, he was able to resolutely say that he definitely did _not_ want to find out what Taako's was.

So he turned to his next best option- Aunt Lup and Uncle Barry, who, by all rights, had been his parents for about a year and a half.

Which, on one hand, was both a mistake and perhaps a good choice.

Lup shrugged, "I thought I was straight until I was in college. But then I woke up next to one too many one night stands that were decidedly _not_ dudes, and there's only so many times you can say 'it was an accident!' before you realize drunk you needs an outlet."

Angus nodded in understanding- thank god for Aunt Lup. It was all the bluntness he expected from his dad but this time with the follow-through, thank the _gods._ Maybe not applicable to him, as he was sixteen, but at least he was getting _somewhere_.

"What about you, Uncle Barry?" Angus swiveled in his chair to look at his foster-dad. "You're bi too, right? How'd you figure that one out?"

"Oh, uh, you know," He sort of shrugged it off.

"Barry is attracted to people he's afraid of," Lup grinned. "At first, we thought it was just strong, powerful women like _yours truly_ , but we went to wrestle-mania with Taako once and he just popped one right there."

Angus furrowed his eyebrows. "Popped one?"

"Oh, you know," Lup raised her eyebrows.

"I am _incredibly_ uncomfortable right now," Barry declared, standing up from his spot at the island counter. "I am going to go drink milk as a way to divert attention from this discussion."

"Don't do that," Lup frowned. "Babe, we share a bedroom."

"Then stop putting me on blast for wrestle-mania. Everyone agreed the Klarg the bugbear had really nice arms- even Taako." Barry whined.

"Oh, hugbear Klarg. Taako got a signed baseball, which was _weird_ because like, wrestling, right? I wonder if it's still in our storage unit," Lup wondered outloud.

"Man, Klarg loved Taako," Barry said, glancing over at Angus. "You almost got a different dad, kiddo- you're just lucky that we have very different types. Taako's only attracted to people he _isn't_ afraid of."

And that had ended that conversation, leaving Angus none the wiser. Angus definitely wasn't into things he was afraid of- even eleven years after, he'd still wake up with his heart pounding, looking around to try and catch the dark smile of a tall shadow looming in. He didn't wake up crying as often, and even rarer was he shaken enough to walk down the hall to seek parental comforts, but it was jarring and uncomfortable. And he wasn't scared of Zaina or Kiyoshi, just uncomfortable- which didn't make a whole lot of sense on either side of the spectrum. 

Uncle Magnus was a _little_ more help, but admittedly, not much- he was in the middle of carving a wooden duck (something that, when asked about his aptitude towards, had only smiled sadly and responded that the first time he carved a duck was the first time he ever spoke to Julia, and therefore held sentimental value towards) but turned off his rotary carver almost immediately when he saw the gangly teen letting himself through the gate into the small backyard.

"Ango Dango!" He grinned, wiping off as much sawdust as he could before pulling him into a tight hug. "Guess what? Indrid Cold learned the anxiety attack procedure yesterday. He's doing so well!"

"Oh, mothman?" Angus asked. It was one of Magnus' dogs in training, but for the _life_ of them, Taako and Lup could never remember the dogs proper name- an affliction that had seemingly spread to Angus as well. He wasn't exactly sure how the twins had picked the name, but on the other hand, he wasn't exactly how Magnus had picked his either. Trying to understand his family was like trying to perform rocket surgery. 

"He doesn't like that name," Magnus frowned for a split second before smiling once more. "I have fresh lemonade I made this morning- come, come! How's my favourite boy?"

"I don't think my dad would like hearing that very much," Angus replied, following Magnus into the small home. 

"He used to be my favourite boy," Magnus shrugged, "but we stopped spending so much time trapped together. Now he's my second favourite boy."

"Second isn't that bad," Angus said as Magnus poured him a glass.

His uncle smiled at that. "Well, depends. I have feeling he'd disagree."

"Hey, um, Uncle Magnus? Can I- uh, ask you a personal question?"

"Sure, squirt. What's family for?" He replied, handing him a glass.

"Well, um, there's not really- uh, a ton of straight people in my life. Um, are you straight? I just realized I never asked but I know you had a wife and- I wanted to know how you figured the whole dating-women thing." Angus said.

"I'll be blunt, kid- for me, it was never 'I'm straight and I want to date women'," Magnus said, shrugging "It was more of- this is a person who makes me happy. This is a person that I want to spend lots of time around. I really like them. It just happened that those people _tended_ to be women. Kid, if you stress too much on the technicalities of straight or gay or pan or _whatever_ , you're going to go insane. If you're having a hard time figuring out where you lie on the spectrum, stop focusing so hard on putting a name on it."

"But if I don't have a name for it, how am I supposed to know what it is?" Angus frowned. 

"Kid, you're _sixteen_. You've got all the time in the world to meet someone and figure shit out."

"You met Julia when you were fourteen."

"Julia and I were lucky," He waved Angus off. "And I was younger than her. She was sixteen at the time. Don't try and belittle my point. Kravitz didn't meet your dad until he was twenty-seven. Love takes _time_ , and- Barry and Lup didn't start dating until they were twenty-four. If you try and _force_ figuring shit out, you're just going to get frustrated. Honestly, you probably haven't even met the person you're going to enter your first long-term relationship with, let alone whoever it is you're going to want to settle down with. Being sixteen is about kissing your friends at parties and hating your parents." Magnus insisted. 

"I don't hate my parents," Angus frowned, and Magnus nodded.  
  
"See! You're already a step ahead of everyone else. Just focus on things like soccer and your friends and rolling with the punches. The more you do things that make you happy, the more evident your identity will become."

Maybe Uncle Magnus was more helpful than Angus was initially willing to admit.  
  


* * *

  
Perks to having an aunt who was a head author for one of the biggest newspapers in the city: private office, hot drinks and cookies on demand, and big, comfy couches to lounge in.

Downsides to having an aunt who was a head author for one of the biggest newspapers in the city: sometimes a pain in the ass to go visit.

But she was the only family he had on Kravitz's side, meaning she was the only normal family he had. Worth a shot, he had decided- worst case scenario (which still seemed like a pretty good scenario), he asks, gets nothing, and then talks to Lucretia about the new novel she was ghostwriting. Being around Lucretia made Angus want to meet more of his dad's family, but according to both of them, that was a _bad_ idea and wasn't ever going to happen (though he could not fathom why).

"Hey, aunt Luce," he poked his head in after getting the go-ahead from her personal assistant (who was new, meaning that another one had just quit- couldn't handle the pressure, apparently. More than once, Lucretia had tried to talk Taako into coming back to work for him again, but to no avail). His aunt was fiddling with a pen in her right hand as she wrote with her left, but beamed as he spoke to her.

"Angus," she dropped both her pens, "what a wonderful surprise. Come in. I've only got about fifteen minutes to spare- I need to run out to a meeting after that, and then there's what I'm working on, but- if you want to stay here for a break, I'll buy you dinner afterwards and then I'll drive you home. We can talk more then?" She suggested hopefully, and he nodded.

"That sounds good- I want to hear more about your book. But, um, before that, I'm having some issues," He admitted, sliding into a chair in the corner of her office.

"And what is that?" She asked, swiveling in her chair to remain facing him.

"Well, I'm having like- identity problems? And everyone else in the family is too weird to give me a definitive answer. Like, the whole dating thing is weird, and I have no clue what to do."

Lucretia winced gently. "I'm sorry, Angus, but you've unfortunately come to the wrong place. I really can't help in that department."

"Why not?" This was not at all like her- Lucretia was one of the smartest people Angus knew, and things like this seemed so _simple_ , so surely she of all people would understand-

"I'm aromantic and asexual, Angus." She said, shrugging, "It's never been something I've really been into. Tried it once or twice, but I'm just happier with having lots of friends."

"I'm just having issues because all my friends are dating and I'm not, and it's like- I feel weird being the only one out, but I've gone on a couple of dates and I don't like it very much," he thought back to his kiss with Zaina, "but I don't know if it's because I don't like kissing and hugs and planning things to do or if I was just with the wrong person."

"It's possible," Lucretia agreed gently, but there was an implied lilt to her voice.

"What?" he asked, and she swiveled away from him, back towards her work.

"Oh, nothing," She said, going back to scribbling away with both hands, "I was just thinking that, as someone who is aromantic, I don't particularly enjoy romantic actions. I don't enjoy dates or small-talk or anything of that sort. I dislike the weight that gets placed into a handful of hours, because _this could be the night._ I dislike the obligation to see someone on a regular basis. I would prefer that I see someone because they enjoy seeing me. Affection always seems more genuine when it's from a friend or from family. I'd rather spend a night sitting on the couch next to a friend than spend a night in uncomfortable clothes talking to someone I don't know, just to inevitably be disappointed by them in a few weeks. I don't like how people conceal themselves on the first few dates to entice you into returning. I would rather spend time with people I _know_ I like, because I've tried intimacy and it's not for me unless it's strictly platonic."

"I'm not sure I understand," Angus said, even though his stomach was twisting, brain running a mile a minute because _isn't that almost exactly what he was thinking just last week?_

"I don't want to suggest anything, Angus. I'm merely thinking out loud. Some aros want to date, some aros like physical affection, some aros don't. I was simply telling you my personal experience in hopes of making myself clear to you. Aros get married, aros stay single, aros enjoy reading romance but don't necessarily enjoy it for themselves. There's lots of aromantics in the world, Angus. Are you one of them?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm aro and this is literally how I found out... I was complaining to my friends about how much I hate going on dates and they were like "well what do you want in a partner?" and I was like "I kind of just want someone to come over and play mario kart with me and tell me bad jokes" and they were like "like a friend?" and I was like "yeah?" and then they dropped that bombshell on me and I'm twenty and JUST figured that out.... hi welcome to Spencer-projects-on-the-characters-hour, where being LGBTQ+ SHOULD be the first assumption but never is ✌
> 
> I also just finished DMing my first d&d session, and it was so fun!! Really scary, but really fun- it's so cool being on the other side of the story telling!! My wrists are hella killing me though so it's good this chapter was prewritten!!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's been leaving comments, next chapter will be up on the 22nd! Please stay happy and stay safe! <3
> 
> @choo-choo-boyzz


	7. Taako- Engaged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To be interested, to be wed.
> 
> Taako and Kravitz spend some time with Barry and Lup and then talk about their special boy.

Taako prided himself on having an opinion on everything. No such thing as too much jewelry- toilet paper should go UNDER not over, FUCK the patent- dark wood is way sexier than light wood, helix piercings are the _sexiest_ , all good wizards have big hats (so fuck pretty much everyone in harry potter), the best toothpaste flavour is orange, hands down-

You get it. He's got a lot of thoughts on almost everything. 

He thought he had known what he was getting into. He was pretty involved in Lup and Barry's wedding- he'd gone to her dress appointments, made comments on things like fit and style, listened to her complain about what she liked and what she didn't. He'd take her calls at two in the morning when she was nervous about the ceremony and didn't want to tell Barry she was worried. He'd listen to her talk about how she was worried about the catering, worried about tripping on her skirt, worried the delivery people would drop the cake. She was worried she'd fuck up her vows, worried she'd cry too much and have red eyes in her wedding photos, worried she was going to spill dinner on her dress- and Taako, who was usually not the most compassionate brother, simply nodded to himself and buckled down to listen to her pointless complaints. 

He helped Barry pick a suit and a pocket square and listened to one of his closest friends gush about his _sister._ Watched their brat (who eventually became his brat, but that was besides the point), and, basically, Taako deserved a goddamn award for how supportive he was through the whole fiasco. Didn't complain once. 

That was a million times easier than trying to plan his own wedding. 

It was unfortunately a struggle between Taako's over-the-top aesthetic and the small-wedding they had agreed upon. On one hand, Taako loved the large ten tier wedding cakes with hand-piped details and hand-placed sugar-gum roses, dusted in gold disco dust. On the other, there was going to be thirty people, give or take (which was really only two tiers, three if they wanted to be extra). Also, they had agreed that they weren't going to spend a ridiculous amount on the ceremony. The extra money from the small guest list was going to be put towards a bomb-ass honeymoon on a beach. Angus was going to be doing a family tour (they couldn't agree on who should get to have him, so the civil thing was to share- two and a half days each to Magnus, then Lucretia, then Lup and Barry) while they were gone.

"Champagne flutes are overrated. We can just drink out of mugs," Lup said to Kravitz.

"Listen, I think the energy is great, and saving money is even better, but this _is_ a wedding." Kravitz argued back. "I'm not drinking champagne out of Barry's 'if-jeans-wore-jeans' mug."

"Hey! I bought him that mug," Taako kicked Kravitz.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, it's a _good_ mug. I like it much more than Lup's 'blow me, I'm hot' one, but it's a _wedding-_ I really don't want to have to explain that to my moms." He replied.

"Also, babes, you know we love having you over, but why exactly are you planning in our kitchen instead of at yours?" Lup asked, sliding each a cup of hot chocolate.

"Because Angus wanted to come over," Taako said, sipping his drink. "Also, fuck off. We can do whatever we want. Also, tell Kravitz that you're both going to be on my half of the wedding party."

"In my defense, I never thought I was going to be able to steal Lup," Kravitz offered, "but I think it's only fair that you're with me, Barry."

"In what way is it 'only fair'?" Taako asked.

"Uh, because you're going to have Magnus and Angus and I've only got Hurley and Sloane, and-"

"Woah, back up, bud. Who's Hurley and Sloane?" Barry asked.

"Oh, ho ho!" Taako grinned. "Oh, this is _delightful._ Kravitz, why don't you tell my _lovely_ family who Hurley and Sloane are?"

"You have other friends, ghost rider?" Lup gave him a one over.

"Taako, I am _not_ going to let that cat out of that bag." Kravitz hissed. "They're never going to let me live it down."

"I will let you have Barry _and_ Lup- that's right, my _sister-_ if you tell them right now, no bullshit, how we know them." Taako grinned. "Pinky promise."

"They're going to make _fun_ of me," He whined, suddenly petulant.

"Mm, I doubt it. I think Lup will be excited more than anything. They'll make fun of you later though, deffo."

" _Taako._ "

"Babe, just say the words," Taako pushed gently, "Get it over with now- they're gonna find out eventually."

"Haven't found out yet." He huffed.

"Yet," Taako agreed, and then turned to his sister and his brother-in-law. "Kravitz is a pole dancer at the Closet, as are our friends Hurley and Sloane."

"Ex-fucking-scuse me?" Lup's jaw dropped to the floor.

"Uh, since _when?_ " Barry looked over at Kravitz, as if he was seeing him for the first time, "Have we _seen_ him? We go to the Closet all the time."

"Absolutely not!" Kravitz looked aghast as Taako nodded.

"Yeah, once or twice." He spoke over Kravitz's blatant lie.

"Un-fucking-believeable." Lup crossed her arms. "We could have gotten _so_ many employee discount drinks if you had told us sooner- also, uh, what the fuuuck?"

"I repeat, bud, since _when?_ "

"Um, longer than I've known either of you?" He said, causing Lup to groan loudly.

" _Years_ of drinks- I thought we were _friends?_ "

"It just... never came up?" He tried, but she only complained louder.

"I cannot believe... we've known you for six years now- we invite you to family game night, and in a few months you're going to be my brother-in-law, literally _family_ , and you _never told us_?" She griped. "Barry, tell the man that he's cut us _deep_."

"Does this mean that we've seen you in your underwear?" Barry asked.

"Jesus, Barry-" Kravitz cursed as Taako laughed.

"Again, several times-"

"What's going on in here?" Angus popped his head through the door. "We can hear the four of you yelling incorrigibly from the den, and it's distracting from the ambience of the wizard of Oz."

"Does _he_ know?" Lup pointed at Angus immediately.

"Um, yeah?" He grimaced.

"YOU TOLD OUR SWEET BABY BOY AND DIDN'T TELL US? KRAVITZ QUEEN, WE'VE BEEN PAYING FULL-PRICE FOR DRINKS FOR YEARS-"  
  


* * *

  
Kravitz sighed as they left the florist on main. It had been someone Raven _used_ to work with, with the keywords being 'used to'- their fridge was small and definitely didn't have enough space for the flowers they were going to be ordering, and they just put their displays out in straight water instead of adding sugar and vinegar. The lady was nice enough, but this late in the game should have really been taking better care- maybe it was more expensive, but if you're going to charge twenty dollars a boutonnier it should _probably_ last past the ceremony and into the reception.

"So, what did you think, big guy? Seemed like they had a pretty good selection." Taako said, linking their hands as they walked.

"You weren't raised by a funeral director and it shows," Kravitz smiled down at his partner. "That place was a crap shot. I'm thinking we talk to my mom and see if she'd be willing to barter with her current favourite florist for a lower price. They have good stuff, and an even better selection."

"Noted, handsome," Taako lifted their joined hands to glance at his fiance's watch. "Our cake appointment isn't for an hour and a half. Do you want to go grab a late lunch?"

"Yeah, I really would," He tugged at their conjoined hands, an unspoken _I'll lead the way_ being passed between the two.

They took a table for two in the back of a little place called the Davy Lamp, a restaurant Kravitz had only found last week when he met his mothers to tell them the big news. No Taako or Angus- although that was for different reasons- Kravitz didn't want Taako to get smothered by his parents, especially as he was still getting used to the idea, and Angus would likely have been so distracting that neither woman would have listened to him if he tried.

Istus had known, of course she did- up until he said it aloud, she had been sending him knowing looks over her menu. She didn't tell Raven though (which caught him a little off guard, admittedly) so the woman had just glance back and forth between the two of them in surprise until she found her voice.

Taako thought that was hilarious- they told him the story a couple of nights later when they invited the family of three over for dinner to celebrate. Raven and Istus each hugged Taako goodbye, which hadn't _ever_ happened before. They also started calling him 'son' over text, which was a little weird, but not as weird as the 'you know you can call us Ma if you like. Raven prefers Mom, though' text he received from Istus a couple of days later. He had promised Kravitz he would make an effort, although it seemed infinitely odd to be calling _anyone_ mom.

"We're six weeks away, now- how are you doing?" Kravitz asked him as they sat in the booth.

"It doesn't really feel real," Taako admitted. "If you had sat me down the day I met you and told me that we'd be here someday, I would've called you insane."

"Hey, same here," Kravitz smiled lightly, "My first memory of you is you being snippy with Lucy."

"You called my actions _repulsive_." Taako nudged him with his foot.

"You called me a huge dick."

"I stand by that," Taako nodded, making Kravitz laugh.

"Did you know that Lup has called me four times since we were over at her house to ask me to teach her how to pole dance?" He changed the subject. "She said it's the only way she'll ever be able to forgive me for my crimes against their wallet."

"What'd you say?"

"That if she wasn't such a dipsomanic she wouldn't be in this mess in the first place." Kravitz shrugged, and it was Taako's turn to laugh. "Also, I love your sister, she's great, but I have the feeling she's going to ask me a lot of stripper-related questions if I started to teach her."

"Oh, most definitely, babe," Taako's eyes skimmed over the menu, "And the worst part? Barry'd probably want to watch, the freak."

"Yeah, I'm also not super in love with that- strangers are whatever, it's fun to dance for you, but, uh, the in-laws? Definitely, uh, weird." Kravitz made a face. "Some people pole dance just to get exercise and it's not overly sexual, but that's the only time I ever dance, so- y'know."

"No, and I greatly appreciate the fact you're not trying to hoe it up in front of my sister and my brother-in-law," Taako smiled, "but don't believe the nice-twin bullshit Lup tries to pull. She's a bitch too- she _will_ become more aggressive about her tactics if she realizes you're not going to teach her. Especially if it's something she really wants."

"Your sister is not a bitch." Kravitz rolled his eyes. "She's just... persistent."

"You know, at some point I'm going to stop being relieved that the two of you get along and all this ass kissing is going to get old."

"Oh, really? But you seemed so fond of it last night," Kravitz teased as their server came and took their orders.

"Hey, have you noticed something off with Angie recently?" Taako cleared his throat, still not over the embarassment of their waiter _probably_ overhearing their lewd conversation.

"Oh, for sure," Kravitz nodded. "I think he's found a girlfriend- or boyfriend, but I get het vibes."

"I would never raise a het," Taako frowned.

"It happens to the best of us, darling," Kravitz gently tapped Taako's hand soothingly.

"And besides, there's no _way_ Agnes is dating," Taako shook his head. "Have you _seen_ our boy? He's way too awkward. I'll give you that maybe, _maybe_ he's got a crush on someone, but there's no way he's got a partner, handsome."

"He's a little formal at times," Kravitz agreed, "but maybe he's found an old-fashioned type. Someone who's all into the flair of being wooed and taking it slow."

"I love Angus, but Krabby, there's no way in _hell_ my boy has found anyone yet." Taako smiled softly. "I know my boy."

"I know him too, but there really isn't any point in debating it, is there?" Kravitz asked as their drinks were brought to the table. "He'll tell us when he's ready, no matter what's going on, so we're best to just respect his privacy until then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short author's note today! I just wanted to say thank you for all the support on the last Angus chapter, as it is something that I care very deeply about. Everyone's comments were so lovely, y'all are the best <3
> 
> Next chapter is going up on the 24th, and it's going to be another Kravitz chap (just hella fluff and family vibes). I haven't been feeling well recently but this one might be the jumpstart I need- one of my planning notes is "Taako falls asleep on Kravitz almost immediately" and if that's not the cutest thing you've ever heard I literally have nothing to offer you with this series. You've done it all. Congratulations.
> 
> Stay happy and stay safe! <3
> 
> @choo-choo-boyzz


	8. Kravitz- Valerian Root Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They seal the deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a long boy! Buckle up.

Saturdays were Kravitz's favourite day of the week. A break from the stress of the work week, no screaming children- and he could always pop into the Closet if he wanted to dance. There was, quite frankly, nothing _not_ to love. Especially Taako and Angus had moved in.

Kravitz's eyes were still shut as he listened to the soft clink of dishware out in the main room. Angus was already up, likely cleaning up after his breakfast, but other than that the apartment was silent. Taako was sprawled over his left hip, lying almost entirely on top of him. Their embrace was warm and soothing, even if Taako's breath on his chest was a little ticklish. 

Their front door banged against the wall, meaning that it was most _definitely_ time to get on with the day and check that out, but the room was far too bright for Kravitz- and, as Taako snuggled in closer, far too warm to even think about moving away- he rolled slightly until they were both on their sides, letting his lover burrow in deeper to the side of his neck.

He could hear Angus talking to a female voice- Lup, it sounded like- out in the main room. It was pretty muffled, but he heard "are they awake yet?" from Lup and "no, I don't think so," from Angus before he started to drift again.

There was the sound of another door thudding against the wall, but this time it was closer- Lup had come into their room.

"Did you chucklefucks even set an alarm?" She asked, adding "you better be wearing clothes," as an afterthought while she ripped the comforter off the bed.

"Lup, fuck off," Taako whined, " 's early."

"Come on, bud, you wanna be late for your own wedding?" Barry prodded, poking Taako between the ribs.

"Mm, don't do that," Kravitz grumbled and hit his hand away. "We've got time. Why don't you go get coffee and we can sleep for a little longer?"

"We already _got_ coffee," Lup said. "We literally procrastinated as much as we could. Come on, get UP, Ko!"

"Idonwanna. I wanna stay with Krabitz," he complained.

"Yeah, well, you can pull this shit tomorrow," Lup hooked her arms under her brother's arm pits and pulled. "But we've gotta _go._ "

"Nooo..." Taako whined as he was pulled off Kravitz. "I wanna hold my man, let me hold my man-"

"You can hold your man when the photographer arrives- Shit- Magnus!"

"How many people did you bring?" Kravitz sat up and rubbed his eyes sleepily as in bounded Magnus, who cheerfully slung his friend over his shoulder and carried him out of the room with little trouble.

"It's just the three of us- you gonna be more cooperative?" Lup cracked her knuckles. 

"Seems wise, doesn't it?" He stretched lightly. "My suit's in the closet, and I'll just throw on some clothes-"

"Just wear your pjs, bud," Barry said, already heading over to pick up the bag hanging in the closet. "Not like we haven't already seen them."

"And we weren't kidding, by the way," Lup said, grabbing things out of Taako's jewelry box, pocketing four or five sets of earrings and a bracelet. "We literally procrastinated as long as we could."

"I thought Taako left his jewelery for today at the house with his clothes?" Kravitz eyed Lup as he slid his phone into his back pocket and grabbed his pre-packed wedding bag (Taako hadn't bothered, so he had put in the effort to ensure there was spare clothes and water for both of them). 

"Oh, he did- this is for me. It's so much harder to nab his stuff now that he lives here," She informed and turned to Barry. "I'm sure shit's getting wild in my backseat. I'm going to roll out- you take Angus, yeah?"

"Oh, definitely," Barry nodded. "I bet Magnus has already eaten all the timbits."

"Taako's going to kill him- I stashed another box in the glovebox just in case, but Maggie's a bloodhound- better go stop them from ruining my interior." She kissed his cheeks and hurried out.

"I bought you a coffee- it's in the front seat," Barry turned to Kravitz, watching him slip his cellphone into his sweatpants' pocket.

"I guess we should go- do you know if Angus is ready?"

"Do I know if Angus is ready?" Barry snorted, "Kravitz, I think he's more excited than _you_ are. He's probably been up since dawn, maybe earlier. The kid's been ready to go for _hours._ "

"Morning dad!" Angus called as Kravitz stepped out of the bedroom. "Are you going to be eating before we leave?"

"Unfortunately no- I grabbed some croissants that we can snack on on the drive." Barry answered for him. "Go put your shoes on, kiddo. I think your dad is still waking up."

"You barge into my home, wake me up at an unreasonable time, pull Taako off of me with force, and I'm getting bullied for it?" Kravitz grumbled, double checking that he had both his pair of dress shoes and his comfy sandals for the day prior. 

"It's like ten in the morning," Barry replied, slipping back into his flipflops. "Don't you go for jogs at like six in the morning?"

"Yeah, on a work day." Kravitz whined as he locked the door behind the three of them. "It's a _Saturday._ "

"Whatever, bud- heya, Angus, did you see Magnus carry Taako out?" Barry swapped over to his son, chatting cheerfully. "He seemed really pissed at first."

"I don't think it was just at first," Angus said, sliding into the backseat of Barry's minivan. Relatively new, relatively limited child-stank, so by all means, essentially a limo at this point- Kravitz was originally going to drive himself, Taako and Angus over, but Lup had put up a fuss and insisted they remain separated until _at least_ they could do a first look.

So they decided that, in order to enforce it, they would become the taxi service.

"... called Magnus an overgrown toddler on a power trip as he was carried out of the apartment, or so I heard," Angus finished.

"Oh, so he's only at a four on the Taako scale. That's pretty good," Barry nodded appreciatively. "Lup was worried he might stress himself into a groomzilla fit."

"He'd kill you if he heard you say that," Kravitz said, sipping his drink. 

"Well, good thing he's not here, huh?" Barry grinned. "You buckled up, Angus?"

"Uh huh!"

"Well then, let's go." Barry said, pulling out of his parking spot with caution.

(They forgot the boutenniers in the freezer, but Barry was kind enough to run back out and grab them as the photographer started taking pictures of the backyard. Crisis kindly adverted).  
  


* * *

  
First looks are traditionally done in front of a photographer, but they had agreed that with everything else going on, it would be the best just to do the two of them. Taako was already incredibly nervous- no point in making it worse. Kravitz sipped his mimosa, trying not to let his nerves get the worst of him. Raven was sitting next to him on the couch, fauning over his hair and straightening his (already straight, mind you) tie.

Seeing Lup was a breath of relief from everything- sure, it meant he had a whole other set of things to be anxious about, but it wasn't his mothers bickering about whether or not Kravitz should lint roll his tux for a _fourth_ time- because it meant Taako was ready to see him. Barry and Angus had come in and joined him about an hour ago (supposedly things had gotten a little wild in the master bedroom where his soon-to-be husband was being kept- Kravitz asked if it was anything he needed to involve himself in, and when the answer was no, he decided that he did not want to be a part of the chaos). Since then, he had been trying to lounge and not think about everything that could go wrong- Taako could decide that this really wasn't for him, he could be upset if Kravitz didn't give him the right reaction after spending hours being dolled up, Kravitz could accidentally smudge all of their hard work just minutes before photos-

The moment he saw Taako, the worries faded. 

The man hadn't noticed him yet, tapping away at his phone- twitter, probably, though gods knows what he was tweeting about now- but he looked...

Kravitz couldn't even describe it. Ethereal was too little a compliment. Taako was ethereal _every day_. Everyday spent with Taako was once basked in beauty and love, but seeing him sit on the edge of his sister's bed... he was beyond beautiful, beyond perfect, and breathing seemed too high a task for him. The idea of doing anything but looking was pure insanity, especially as Taako's lips curled back into a smile.

It took effort to remember to breathe, but it really would be best if he _didn't_ have a heart attack today, so he finally convinced himself to step forwards. Lup had shut the door behind him (thank god, she would have never have let him live down what just happened) meaning that it was just them.

"Taako," Kravitz's voice came out a little strangled. "Holy shit."

"Bones," He startled a little, shutting off his phone surprisingly quick, "I didn't hear you come in."

"I can't..." His face screwed up a little, looking at his partner. "I can't even say how incredible you look. I'm speechless." He ran his hand over one of the long, flowy sleeves of Taako's dress as he moved close until a mere foot was all that was between them. "And your _hair_."

"Lup spent hours braiding it," he smiled gently, a hand reaching up to touch the swirling updo. On top rested a flower crown made with muted yellow and pink flowers against a dark green base. 

"It shows- you look fantastic." Kravitz held him at arm's length, trying to memorize as many of the details as he could. "Fucking- hell, Taako."

"I'm glad you like it," Taako replied, seeming a little shy. "I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted a dress, but I didn't think I could be as extra in a suit-"

"It's _incredible_." Kravitz ran his fingers across the embroidery, humming in appreciation. "It's better than anything I could have ever imagined for you."

"Yeah?" Taako shifted closer, letting his hands run across the smooth fabric of a suit jacket. "We have different styles, so I was kind of worried you wouldn't be as into it as I am-"

"You could be wearing one of your thongs and a t-shirt and you'd still be the most incredible person I'd ever laid eyes on. _Look_ at you. You're like some sort of beautiful wood elf." Kravitz murmured in awe. 

"Do you think we'd piss off whatever god or gods is up there if I kissed you?" Taako asked. 

"I know that it's probably going to be deemed as a bad omen for the marriage, but I literally cannot think of a reason as to why," He informed, already pulling the man against his chest. "They'll have to suck it up, if they are upset- I don't think I can wait a second longer."

"Well, then, less chatty, more grabby." And that was how, lips spread wide into a smile, their faces met. It was how Lup walked in on them minutes later, insisting that it was time for photos and hissing at them _not in my bedroom, you freaks!_

But Taako's hand was in his, and that was all that mattered.  
  


* * *

  
Merle officiated the ceremony since he owed Kravitz a favour (Davenport's interpreter had bailed on a doctor's appointment, and Kravitz was very _not_ qualified, but there was no other option). Said Davenport was still at home, watching the kids for the evening (Lup and Barry's aswell, since Taako and Kravitz had agreed their event was going to be child-free).  
  
They had been by a couple of days earlier, decorating the backyard for the event. It was good that Lup and Barry had a small garden against their back-fence, as it offered a slightly preferable backdrop to the brick houses. Magnus had built a pergola over the sitting area that was strung with fairy lights for once the sunset, and had worked with their florist into make a flower arch for them to stand in front of. There were folding chairs on either side of the thin walkway, but in honesty, there was little need- with the exception of Kravitz's parents, everyone else would be able to stand through the ceremony.

Raven and Istus walked Kravitz down the aisle first (which felt a little silly, but Raven beamed at him and kissed his forehead as Istus squeezed his hand and said "We're proud of you, Vitzy," and suddenly it didn't feel silly at all but _incredibly_ overwhelming and-) followed by Lup and Taako, who were walking arm in arm, clearly bickering under their breath about something as they made their way to the archway.

"He's your problem now," Lup declared, all but dropping Taako's hands into Kravitz's.

"No returns?" He raised an eyebrow teasingly.

"Nope," Taako answered for her and then looked over at his sister. "Hey, time to make like a tree and fuckin' bounce, Lu."

"I love you too, prick." She hissed.

"You're still beautiful, by the way," Kravitz offered, lifting a hand to his lips as Merle began to say _something_ about the permanence of love and impermanence of being.

"Natch," Taako smiled.

"Natch," Kravitz echoed quietly. "How are you? Are you nervous at all?"

"Would you believe me if I said no?" Taako squeezed their joined hands. "Taako's like... surprisingly cool right now."

"Taako's _always_ cool." 

"I know, but Taako's _extra_ cool right now. Especially since the world sort of expects Taako to freak out."

"When you talk about yourself in the third person too much, it makes me feel like you're possessed by some sort of alien." Kravitz hid a laugh. At this point, they were just _fully_ not listening to Merle, but judging by the grin on Magnus' face, no one seemed to mind too much.

"But like, a _sexy_ alien?"

"The sexiest alien." Kravitz promised. "Albeit an alien that needs lessons on how to talk like a person."

"Maybe it's you that's wrong- ever think about that? Or are you too stuck up about your nationalistic impulses-"

"Would the grooms now read their vows," Merle said, strangely loud, and there was a couple of giggles from the onlookers, insinuating it was not the first time that had been said.

"Shit," Kravitz whispered, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a handful of cue cards.

"Taako," He glanced up into his partner's eyes, "when we met, my first impression of you was that you were apathetic, arrogant, materialistic and crude. And I can tell you that, over half of a decade later, I am very pleased to report that I was right about all those things," he said, earning a _whoop!_ from Magnus, "but wrong about them too. You act apathetic when you care too much, arrogant to protect yourself, materialistic to distract yourself, and crude to bring joy into those around you. As I got to know you, more and more, I learned that the _real_ Taako, _my_ Taako, is gentle, kind, and almost irresponsibly caring. You have a heart of gold- and I'm not talking about the locket Lup stole- and you have been kind enough to share it with me everyday."

"Lup stole my locket?" Taako whispered as Kravitz shifted to his next card.

"Yeah, this morning."

"Fucking bitch," He muttered, glancing over to where she sat with Barry, shrugging in feigned innocence.

Back at full volume, he continued with his vows. "The first time I realized that I wanted to be with you was when I realized that you loved everything in your life conditionally, and then fully. When I first saw you with Angus, I thought that all it would take is one misplaced uno card to turn you off spending time with him. But just last week, when we were in the apartment and he ate your last Joe Louis, you told him he had to pay for it in the 'tickle tax' and proceeded to smother him until I interfered. You love with the entirety of your being, and I will always be grateful that you have included me in the select few that get to experience such joy. Even when I forget to buy milk, even when you refuse to watch Love Island with me, even when you shriek because my hands are cold, even when we're apart. Having you in my life has improved ten-fold, just as being in yours has.

"Richer or poorer, better or worse, and in sickness or in health, I will always support you. From crazy family outings to quiet nights in, from dawn to dusk to back again, I will always love you. From the day you adopted Angus to the day I die, you will always be my family. You are my spark, my muse, and the only person who's able to stop Lup from beating me in pool so bad that I lose my shoes. You're my partner in laser tag, even when you come up with ridiculous schemes for me to boost you over barricades and inevitably get us banned. You fill my life with joy, day in and day out- Taako, I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing music, a cherry, and you, because I don't ever want to be without you. You're the light of my life, and I'll never love anyone else for as long as we both shall live- and past that, too. I love you."

"God, I love you too," Taako whispered, squeezing their joined hands. "Fuck, were you trying to make me cry?"

"Was I supposed to?" He asked, feeling a little smug.

"I'm going to punch you in the dick," He hissed, taking the cards that Angus handed him. "Thanks, Ango." 

"Uwu," Kravitz whispered.

"You are permanently banned from hanging out with Lup," He informed. "Did you just fucking say uwu to me?"

"Yes, and?"

"We are going to talk about this," Taako jabbed a finger gently at Kravitz's chest. "Let me read this gross sappy shit and then we can go talk about this."

"Okay, sounds good." Kravitz nodded, still smiling.

"We've been together for a really long time," Taako began, "longer than I think either of us cares to think about. When I think about you, I think about emojis with noses, puzzles for children that give me headaches, and a different tea for every mood. I think about how you whisper to our practice-cat plant about how much you want it to live, and every time you bring home a new scented candle I think that _this_ might be the one that turns you into an arsonist," Taako continued despite Kravitz's laughing, "I think about how much you love socks with patterns and ghibli movies and thunderstorms. I think about how you spend everyday trying to make the world a little better in everything you do. And when I wake up next to you, I experience it first hand.

"Words have never really been my specialty. But I think that, if I give examples, maybe it'll be easier to understand. The first time Angus and I taught you code 07716 and we played trivial pursuit. The day you met Magnus. Helping me pick a wedding gift for my sister. Dancing with you outside, under the stars. Coming to my apartment to check on me because no one had heard from me in a while. Going through years worth of evidence to help me win a lawsuit. Helping me raise Angus. Alternating weekends at each other's apartments. Fighting, and then realizing we both felt miserable without each other and apologizing in the rain. Sitting with you when you got the battery on your pacemaker changed. Learning that not every 'I have to go to the hospital' trip is life or death, and that when they are, I should just do what I believe is best, because you trust me no matter what. Each of those moments took place over the span of several years, but it can feel like just yesterday sometimes. 

"The past few years have been, for the most part, a blur to me, but an incredible one. Every day, you bring joy into our home. You're ridiculous in ways I don't understand- your occasional cockney accent, the way you'll buy one outfit in every colour because you find it comfy, the way you watch Ponyo _at least_ once a month, usually more, the way you get up early on workdays to exercise- but I love you, forever and always. You've given me some of the best days of my life. And I'm ready to go make some more." Taako squeezed his hand. 

"Kravitz Queen, do you take Taako Taaco to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect him, forsaking all others, and holding only unto him forevermore?" Merle asked.

"I do."

"And Taako Taaco, do you take Kravitz Queen to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect him, forsaking all others, and holding only unto him forevermore?"

"I do."

"Taako and Kravitz will now exchange rings as a symbol of love and commitment to each other." Merle said as Barry handed them each a small box. "Rings are a precious metal; they are also made precious by you wearing them. Your wedding rings are special; they enhance who you are. They mark the beginning of your long journey together. Your wedding ring is a circle—a symbol of love never ending. It is the seal of the vows you have just taken to love each other without end. Kravitz, if you would please put your ring on Taako's left hand and repeat after me."

"As a sign of my love, that I have chosen you above all else, with this ring, I thee wed." Kravitz gently slid the wedding band until it rested snug against Taako's engagement ring.

"And Taako, please place the ring on Kravitz's left hand and repeat after me." Merle said, repeating the same phrase.

"As a sign of my love, that I have chosen you above all else, with this ring, I thee wed." Taako's fingertips lingered on Kravitz's ring finger before linking their hands once more. 

"Almost done," Kravitz whispered gently.

"As you continue on, now married, remember to continue to put effort into showing each other that you love one another deeply. Continue to trust your hearts and your partner, and know that you are a team, for now and for always. It will take dedication to continue your relationship, as you both continue to grow. You will face adversity, but so long as your love for one another outweighs fear of loss, it will always reign true. As time goes on, remember to prove your vows of forever love and care, and remember to treasure the man in your hands.

"And now by the power vested in me, it is my honor and delight to declare you married. You may-" Merle continued, but Taako grabbed Kravitz by the suit jacket and pulled him into a kiss, sending the small group of people in the backyard into cheers.

"You could have let me finish," Merle grumbled to Kravitz's left, but it hardly mattered when Taako's hands were on his cheeks and he was smiling widely.

"I love you." Kravitz kissed him again and again, on his cheeks, on his forehead and on the tip of his nose.

"It is my pleasure to introduce the newlyweds, Taako and Kravitz Queen!" Merle announced and the cheers grew louder until Kravitz couldn't help but laugh, one arm around Taako and the other gesturing for Angus to come join them.  
  


* * *

  
They had their first dance to partner dancing, the song that they had their first kiss as a couple to- and now, their second kiss as a married couple. Dinner and speeches had gone well- there hadn't really been a strict seating arrangement since there was so few people, but it didn't matter- Taako spent most of dinner slung over Kravitz's arm, laughing brightly as he talked to Lup and Barry and Magnus. During the dancing portion of the evening, the couples had split off- Lup and Barry went to go leech Grimm information off of Hurley and Sloane (which Kravitz gave them permission to do, so long as his mothers, under no circumstance, caught wind of it). Magnus joined them, which meant that he likely knew about Kravitz's second job (even though he had never told him, it just seemed like he knew). Angus spent the evening with his grandparents. After a half hour, Taako and Kravitz separated to go spend time with their friends but inevitably returned to be together once more. 

Most of the evening was a wonderful haze after that first dance- Lup iced the couple just fifteen minutes into dinner, and was relentless- but there was one moment in particular that he remembered. It was during their slow dance, and Taako was 'letting' him lead. Taako had just leaned to rest his head against Kravitz's chest, eyes shut in peace, and Kravitz had kissed his forehead and said "Thank you, Taako."

"Hm? For what?" His eyes reopened, flickering up to meet the bottom of his husband's chin.

"For trusting me. I know this was difficult for you, but you've made me immeasurably happy, Taako. Thank you. I love you."

"You're an idiot, y'know?" Taako sighed happily. "Don't thank me for trusting you, handsome. I did it for me too- you make me happy."

"I try." Kravitz kissed his forehead again. 

"I know. That's why I like you so much." He said, stepping closer. "Now the only stressful thing we have to do is get to our honeymoon."

He hadn't been wrong. They had spent the past few weeks getting ready for it- Raven and Istus had pushed Taako to go get his first-aid certification for when they were gone, and pushed Kravitz to buy good travel insurance- because even though the chance of anything happening was rare, that didn't mean it wouldn't.

Taako had also spent the past few weeks teaching Kravitz how to swim (if you were wondering, apparently Kravitz picked it up twice as fast as Barry) on Thursdays (when Angus had soccer) and on Sundays (in the morning, instead of his usual work out). It wasn't quite something he had gotten down pat, but Taako seemed pleased enough with his skills to let him swim in the ocean without a life jacket, which was a plus.

Getting on their plane had been a hassle- they ended up leaving the wedding at three in the morning and had to get up to catch their flight at six, so they were both exhausted. Taako insisted on the window seat which was fine for Kravitz (he liked to get up and move occasionally to help his circulation), but but they time they took off the tarmac, his husband was dozing peacefully on his shoulder. Kravitz took his phone out to take a picture before returning to his in flight movie.

Upon landing, they rented a car, bought some groceries, and drove off to the condo they rented- windows down, Taako blaring _something_ on the aux cord and singing along poorly enough to make Kravitz laugh (when Taako saw that he thought it was funny, it only got worse).

"I'm starving," Taako groaned, dropping the shopping bags on the counter. "And exhausted. What do you say, handsome- we eat lunch and then go catch some z's in the shade?"

"I really want to go down and see the ocean," Kravitz peeked out the window. "Can we eat down there?"

"I don't see why not," Taako smiled. "Go throw on your swimsuit, babe. I'll bring stuff down in a few."

And that was how, fifteen minutes later, Kravitz was strolling against the warm sand, collecting beautiful seashells and dipping his toes in the cool water.

"I can't believe I wasn't able to talk you into a speedo," A voice called from a few feet behind, making Kravitz grin.

"If I let you talk me _into_ a speedo, there's no way I'm gonna be able to resist you talking me _out_ of my speedo, babe." He smiled, watching his husband place a small basket on the sand, pulling a towel off his shoulder to lay it on the ground.

"Oh, and what a shame that would be," Taako said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as Kravitz made his way over.

"Look at these shells I found. They're pretty, aren't they?" He extended his hand.

"They're really nice," Taako pressed a kiss to Kravitz's cheek. "Now, come on- it's time to eat."

"We should come back here someday with Angus," Kravitz said as he took his first bite. "I think he'd really like it here."

"We should take a family vacation at some point, you're right." Taako agreed. "We can take Angus to Disney and Universal and do all that cheesy family stuff."

"Hey, Taako?"

"Yeah, Kravitz?"

"I love you."

"Yeah, baby, I know. Now scarf that down- I wanna go get frisky in the ocean."

Kravitz had never eaten anything as fast as that sandwich, and he didn't regret it at all- not even as Taako laughed his entire way down the beach, pressing kisses into every inch of exposed skin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dress I was picturing: https://bit.ly/3jAzMC8 OR https://etsy.me/32R0G2K (different models, same dress)
> 
> This one came down to the wire- it ended up being a lot longer than I was expecting. I used to have a handful of chapters prewritten but I've since caught up- but last chapter is the resolution Angus' arc (which I think is going to be even longer than this one yike). There was also supposed to be some Blupjeans resolution from the last kravitz (??) chapter here, but it didn't feel right so I cut it- I might do a one shot or something at one point but it didn't seem to fit with everything going on.
> 
> Thank you for your comments- see you with the last part on the 26th! Stay happy and stay safe<3


	9. Angus- Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team: a group of players forming one side in a competitive game or sport.
> 
> Angus makes a change for the better.

The original plan was that Angus was going to stay with his family for a while, but with a little well-placed logical points, he talked his way into staying in the apartment solo. And, okay, on one hand, it was always good to be hanging out with his family. He never got to see Aunt Lucretia or his grandparents as much as he wanted, and Aunt Lup and Uncle Barry were always busy with their kids, but also, he was _sixteen_. He could be left home alone for a week or so. It also, in terms of school, didn't make a ton of sense for him to stay anywhere else- he lived closest here, and like his dad (Kravitz) always said, taking the bus once or twice wasn't going to kill him.

He ended up asking Zaina to the dance, which was about as big of a mistake as he could have made- he _really_ should have stayed home. That was clear now. He'd danced with her for the first song or two, but she got bored and ended up dancing with someone else on the team (who had a girlfriend, and this was very quickly turning into the kind of drama he did his best to avoid), so Angus skunked away to a bench on the wall of the gym to wait the night out. Just a little further, to his left, there was a group of three people around his age, laughing around and joking cheerfully. They didn't seem bothered at all by the bright flashing lights or uncomfortably loud music- in fact, it was almost as though they were using the sound as a barrier to let them tell their favourite jokes without risk of being overheard.

Angus was a kid genius. Always had been, (hopefully) always would be. And it wasn't something he was ashamed of at all- he was working towards a degree at sixteen, which was _impressive_. But sometimes, he looked at people like that and felt a little jealous. He was really, really close to his family, but he wasn't close to anyone else. It didn't seem like anyone on the soccer team had noted his absence or, if they had, cared about it, and they were all he had.

"Don't think I've ever seen you around- are you new?" A voice snapped him out of his thoughts as a girl hopped down on the bench next to him, obscuring his view of the trio.

"I, um, am from a different school- I just, uh, play soccer with Tyler and Scott?" He said, noting the bracelet on her left hand that she was fiddling with. It was made with threads, but Angus couldn't identify the colours due to the flashing panels behind him. "They, um, get me in."

"I see." She glanced between the group of boys and him once more. "And so why are you here and not with them?"

"Just needed a break, I guess." He shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Well, I guess that's me- Hi, I'm Mica, and I'm your break. Come on." She grabbed his wrist and tugged him to his feet. He was just about to refuse, getting ready to say 'I'm sorry, but I'm not interested-' when, instead of pulling him towards the dance floor, she pulled him towards the group to their left.

As they drew closer the laughter became more and more defined until they were standing right above them. Mica let go of his wrist to sit cross-legged on the floor, leaning against the knee of someone on the bench. "Found one!" She sing-songed. "Gaydar was off the charts."

"Really? I'm not getting anything," The person on the bench said and then shrugged. "I'm Demetrius. He/him. I'm the only _actually_ gay person here. I'd love it if you could buff out the ranks a little more."

"Oh, fuck _off-_ I'm Alira, I'm pansexual- she/her." Alira said, giving Demetrius a playful shove.

"Ashton, they/them," Said the last the unknown, watching Alira and Demetrius shove each other with a gentle smile. "I'm ace and bi."

"And I use she/her," Mica filled in. "I'm also bi. What about you, what's your faction?"

"Um, I'm Angus- he/him, I guess? And uh... I'm not sure." 

"Way to go, Mica- questioning, _fuck yeah!_ " Demetrius high-fived her with a grin. 

"Lucky for you, we're about as queer as it gets," Ashton said, looking down at their shoes. "We can help you figure it out."

"There's no rush though!" Mica patted Angus' knee gently. "People figure shit out on their own pace."

"Speaking of 'at their own pace'," Demetrius began to speak and the group turned to him, "Mica, you know how Alira took us on a hike through her family's reserve last weekend? It's supposed to be a two hour trail, but Ashton made it take _six-_ "

"I got tired, _sue me_ -"

"We warned you ahead of time how long it would be," Alira raised an eyebrow, seeming only amused by Ashton and Demetrius' bickering.

"I'm _delicate_ ," Ashton gestured at their body with their right hand, as if it would give any perspective (Angus noted that all of their previous shyness seemed to have disappeared, which was good), "Alira made us climb over trees and through a _river-"_

"Maybe if you showered more often, I wouldn't have been forced to pull such drastic measures," Alira gave him a push for good measure.

"Next time we go to a park, we'll suit Demmie up with one of those baby harnesses- that better, Ashy?" Mica asked teasingly.

"Or you could grab one of those wagons for kids- throw some bug netting around it?" Angus suggested.

"I know you're making fun of me," Ashton said petulantly, "but that's kind of a great idea."

The teens around him laughed, and Angus was filled with a sudden feeling of belonging, unlike anything he had ever felt around the soccer team. Scott and Tyler spent time with him because it was convenient to do so, and never for any other reason. They spent time together during practices, and that was it. When he said he wasn't sure if he wanted to invite anyone to the dance they pushed him to do what they were doing instead of accepting that- like Aunt Lucretia suggested- he _might_ be aromantic. Angus felt pressured to go to every dance they invited him to, even if he didn't want to- hell, they didn't even believe him when he said that his parents were fighting but weren't going to split up. Every interaction felt forced, and Angus had just sort of assumed that that was just how it was, talking to anyone who wasn't family, but...

This didn't feel forced at all, compared to that. Alira, Ashton, Mica and Demetrius- it didn't feel like they were forcing their relationship at all. It was a _little_ awkward, since the four of them were so close and he didn't really know any of them, but they kept him politely engaged with questions often enough. At one point, Alira looked over at him and asked "Hey, Angus, are you a narc?" and when he replied no, pulled out popcorn from her bag. They were covered in dill seasoning (Taako hated dill, meaning Angus was banned from eating it around him), which was a nice treat.

"God, it's gotten late," Demetrius stretched on the bench. "I bet the gym is about to close soon. Should we get going?" 

"Yeah, probably- hey Angus, we're going to hit up McDonald's before we go home. You want in?" Mica asked.

"My older brother is driving- we can drop you off at home, if you want?" Ashton offered.

"Yeah, that sounds fun- um, just let me text my ride," Angus said, fumbling with his phone as the group began to pack up.

_11:01 pm_

_Hey, Tyler. Just wanted to let you know I'm going to head out with someone else and don't need a ride home. Thank you anyways!_

  
He didn't recieve a response, and as they were walking outside, Angus realized why. They had left without him. No texts, no warning.

Mica's arm slung over his shoulder as they walked outside. "What's got ya down, uptown?"

"Um, it's just lucky Ashton can give me a lift," He muttered as the three up ahead laughed happily. "My ride ended up bailing on me anyways."

"Who was it- Scott? Fuck Scott." Mica's hand dropped from his shoulder to grab his hand and give it a squeeze. 

"It was Tyler, actually." Angus was a little uncomfortable with the hand-holding, but it _seemed_ platonic (which was preferable).

"Okay, fuck Tyler then." Mica nodded. "Unless you still like him, but if you do I'm going to roast your ass."

"Wait, who do we hate now?" Alira called.

"Tyler!" Mica replied, pulling Angus so they could catch up.

"Oh, _fuck_ Tyler." Ashton said, waving as a car pulled up. 

"I kissed him once," Demetrius made a face. "And then he called me gay, and I was really confused because- he _knows_? So why would he come up to me and kiss me? Definitely some repressed homosexual urges there."

"Ew!" Alira gave him a light shove as she climbed past him to sit in the back seat of the minivan. "Where were you that you kissed _Tyler_?"

"He's my neighbour- it was a barbecue!" He turned over his shoulder to continue bickering with her, only to be cut off as Angus joined Alira in the backseat and Ashton climbed into the front seat.

"McDicks?" The driver turned to Ashton, and upon seeing their nod, started to drive. "Alright, onward ho."

"What did you just call me?" Alira, Demetrius, and Mica said in unison before desolving into snickers as Ashton leaned over their seat to look into the back.

"We _can't_ just do that every time we get into anyone's car, guys," Ashton begged. "One of these days it's gonna be like- like my mom, or something, and she'd kill me if she knew that story. Also, one of the most embarrassing moments of my entire life, and I'd really like to stop reliving it."

"Angus doesn't know the story!" Mica declared, turning to look at him. "So you'll have to relive it just once more. So, Angus, we're on a field trip, right?"

The drive to the restaurant flew by, as did the nearly three hours they spent sitting inside (thank gods his dads weren't home- they probably would have had a freak attack). By the time he was being dropped off at the apartment, his cheeks hurt from smiling and his stomach ached from laughter. Mica leaned out the open window and blew him a kiss as they drove off, yelled promises about seeing him soon drifting through the air as they pulled away.

He'd been added to a group chat and traded phone numbers with them, but figured that was it until, as he was brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed, a notification pinged on his phone.

_  
Mica (she/her)_

_Sleepover tomorrow???_

_  
Ashton (they/them)_

_I have work after school_

_  
Mica (she/her)_

_Visit Ashton at work and then sleepover???  
  
_

_Demetrius (he/him)_

_My dad is letting me have the car! I can pick people up (Angus I'll need your address again because I fully don't remember)_

_  
Alira (she/her)_

_(brain rot)_

_  
Demetrius (he/him)_

_(shut it)_

_Angus (he/him)_

_That sounds really fun! I do school online so I'm good to go whenever._

_Mica (she/her)_

_Yell heah!  
  
_

* * *

  
Sometimes, people just stumble into your life and become impossible to let go of. Taako had said that to him, many, many weeks ago when Angus asked about Kravitz. And, admittedly, it had been a little confusing for him at the time. Everyone who was in his life had become important to him gradually- Kravitz, who pulled him out of his family's home and took him somewhere safe, who taught him that being afraid wasn't normal and that life could be better if he was brave enough to face it, who was (now legally) his dad, had taken a couple of years before he trusted him fully. Aunt Lup and Uncle Barry hadn't taken as long as him, but certainly took a while as well- he'd been in countless foster homes, met countless foster parents. He slept very little during the first few weeks there and was constantly alert, waiting for the other shoe to drop. And when it didn't, and he was finally able to settle after a long time of being alert and worried, it still took him a while to begin to love them. Even Taako, with his endless snark and love for fun, had taken awhile for him to grow attached to. Aunt Lucretia hadn't "stumbled" into his life either- their visits were always planned in advance with ample warning. The only argument for "stumbling" into his life was Uncle Magnus, who quite literally had a tendency to bump into things and drop in without warning. But used to see him even less often than he used to see Taako.

Five days after meeting the "gult" (gay-cult, as Mica affectionately filled him in), he started to understand what Taako had meant by that statement. Things still were weird occasionally- the rest had a lot of history that he wasn't apart of- but they were always quick to fill him in with any missing information. They'd spent the day studying (Angus had already finished the year in post-secondary, but the high school kids were still in). Angus had been hesitant to tell them the truth about his education- the kids on the soccer team had seen him as some freaky genius afterwards- but instead of teasing him or distancing themselves, Alira had just thrown her hands up in the air and said, "Thank god, finally someone who understands grade eleven algebra enough to pass. Get over here- these chucklefucks keep telling me all sorts of weird shit," which had been met with protests of "but I need his help!" and "Angus, I'm your favourite, aren't I? Can you give me a hand?"

So he taught them his tricks, and then they went for a bike ride and got pizza for dinner, and then they were here.

He realized pretty quickly that his new friends were _very_ touchy- Alira had a tendency to spank the butt of whoever walked by her, and Demetrius _always_ wanted to big spoon- and it was still a little odd for him to get used to. They were sitting in Demetrius' backyard, lying on their backs and watching the stars above. Mica was lying with her head on his stomach, holding the hand of Ashton who was spooning with (you guessed it, Demetrius). On his right side, Alira was holding his hand, humming softly as Mica laughed at some joke Ashton told.

Angus was having maybe one of the best days of his life. Before he left to come here, he had had brunch with his grandparents (just because he was allowed to stay home doesn't mean that he was allowed to snub his family). And this afternoon had been some of the most fun he had had (even though they had been studying, it was so much better with friends).

There was a lull in the conversation, filled with the gentle lilt of Alira's voice. 

"So, I think I'm aromantic," Angus said quietly.

"Oh, yeah?" Ashton, whose eyes had been shut, fluttered open. 

"Way to go, Mica- aromantic, _fuck yeah!"_ Demetrius practically crushed Ashton as he reached to high five her, almost a mirror image of how he had reacted to meeting Angus.

"We've almost got a full set," Alira grinned, never looking away from the constellations above. "And then the gult can ascend."

"Way to go, Mica- almost a full set, _fuck yeah!"_ The duo rolled so that Demetrius could high five Mica again, making Ashton groan. 

"Please, Angus, make them stop. I don't want to die like this," they whined, "hey, Demmie, I'm tired and I don't want to bike home. Can I sleep over?"

"Yeah- the air mattress is still pumped from last time, so there's enough room for all of us. Anyone else got anywhere to be?"

"No, thank god." Alira resumed her humming as the group picked themselves off the grass and headed inside. Demetrius practically emptied his closet grabbing clothes for all of them to sleep in, and it was a tight squeeze to fit three people on the queen air mattress. Long after everyone else had fallen asleep, Ashton's hand in his and Mica's head resting on his chest, he was filled with a strange warmth. He trusted these people entirely, which was, admittedly incredibly daunting- but, also, comforting in a way that was indescribable.

He wasn't _in love_ with them, but he was, if that made any sense. 

They split up the next afternoon at two (Uncle Barry and Aunt Lup were bringing dinner over and if he wasn't there Aunt Lup would have the grounds to murder him, and his dad wouldn't like that very much) only to regroup at eight in a nearby park.

The four of them were waiting for him as he got off his bus, smiling and waving as he jogged over. "Sorry I'm late, I hope I didn't make you wait for me-"

"We've actually been here for a half-hour," Demetrius said, gesturing for Angus to sit next to him on the bench, "We told you to come later."

"Oh," Angus didn't know how to feel about that- it felt a little bit like they didn't want to spend time with him, or that they wanted to talk about him- and there was an uncomfortable twist in his stomach.

"There's this thing we do," Mica said, patting his knee comfortingly, "whenever one of us comes out to the others. We've been doing it since Ashton told Alira that they didn't feel like a boy or a girl when they were six."

"Well, I mean, we didn't _know_ that that meant Ashton was nonbinary then." Alira rolled her eyes. "We're just lucky the teacher overheard us and kept us in during recess to explain it."

"It happened for the rest of us too, just- y'know, later," Mica added. "I met Ashton during gym in middle school."

"And I moved into town during grade four," Demetrius added. 

"It's, uh, a little childish," Alira went quiet. "I would like to repeat that this is something I started doing when I was _six_."

"It's cute! It's our thing," Ashton gave her a gentle push.

"Um, I could use some filling in," Angus swallowed uncomfortably. "What's going on?"

Mica raised her right arm to show him the woven bracelet he had become quite familiar with over their week of knowing each other. "Alira makes us friendship bracelets in the colours of our pride flag. We've all got them," She said, point proven by Ashton rolling up their pantleg to show three bracelets sitting across their ankle.

"At first it was just me, but they don't exactly last forever, so when I started making replacements, we all started joining in. Everyone always makes a couple of inches, no ifs, ands, or buts," Alira said, finally pulling a bracelet out of her jacket, "I did most of it when you were with your family, but they all needed to be here to finish it off."

Two shades of green, white, black and grey, Angus looked at it as she handed it to him. Alternating blocks of colour- _staircase_? a part of his brain supplied, and suddenly Angus' breath was tight in his chest.

Oh god, Angus, don't cry. Keep your shit in check.

"It's childish, you don't have to wear it if you don't want to-" Alira began to say, but Angus cut her off.

"Thank you," his voice cracked a little, "it's great, I love it."

"Aw, Angus," Demetrius pulled him into a hug, one quickly mirrored by the others as they wrapped their arms on top of each other. 

"Shit, sorry, this is super lame of me," Angus laughed wetly. "I just- I've never really got to have friends when I was in foster care, and even after, the only people I knew was on the soccer team-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to us," Mica said soothingly, her forehead pressed against his back. "We get it."

"Yeah, we get it," Alira murmured, and then her tone grew teasing, "we get that you're just _really_ scared that you're going to be bad at bracelet making. Well, I've got bad news, bucko- my pansexual bracelet is in desperate need of replacement, and no one works on their _own_ bracelet. Meaning that you're getting these dipshits as your teachers."

"It's really not that hard," Ashton promised. "I mean, unless you're Demmie."

"I have big fingers, _sue me_ , when the strings get short I lose my ability to make the four!" He snapped and the group fell out of the hug to debate proper bracelet making protocol.

"Okay?" Mica muttered to him quietly, checking tightness on his wrist before tying the final knot.

"It's perfect," he assured her. "Hey, Mica?"

"Yeah?" She glanced up from his wrist to look at him.

"Thanks," He said, and he didn't need to say anymore for her to understand.

"Gaydar," She whispered, tapping her temple twice with a smile. "Not just for finding dates."

And then she let go of him and tackled Demetrius for a piggyback ride. "Do you think Denny's is still open? I want a milkshake."

"You should grab Angus and race Demetrius," Ashton said, elbowing Alira. "See who's the better verse."

"Everyone _knows_ it's me," Alira grinned, but came over and crouched in front of Angus. "Ash, I'm sure we can trust you to referee?"

"Oh, definitely," They nodded. "And, as a warning, I _can_ be bribed. Chicken fight rules apply. Go!"

(By the time the five arrived out front, they were all winded- for some, from the exercise, for others, from laughter. Ashton ended up shoving Angus into the window seat of the booth, declaring _themself_ the winner for being able to see such clownery. 

Maybe yesterday had been one of the best days of his life, but this one, hands down, topped it.)  
  


* * *

  
Angus had just finished unpacking from his sleepover when Kravitz and Taako arrived home from their honeymoon, tanned and full of smiles and bags of souvenirs.

The sound of a bag of luggage being set down in the foyer was enough to get Angus out of his chair, hurrying to greet his parents. "Angus!" Taako exclaimed, a large smile on his face as he hugged his son. "Hey kiddo, we missed you lots."

"Hi," Kravitz beamed when it was time for his hug, tussling some of his curls, "How was everything? You had that dance, right? And I want to know about what you did when you stayed with everybody."

"The dance was really fun, actually," Angus said. It hadn't been, at the time, but it was a fond memory now, "I made a lot of new friends, actually. I, um, think I found my people? Like, the people I'm meant to be friends with?"

"Well, that's great. You'll have to have them over for dinner soon- we'd love to meet them," Taako lifted his bag again, kissing him on the cheek and heading back towards the master bedroom. "Nice bracelet, by the way!" He called, making Angus flush.

"We're proud of you, Angus," Kravitz kissed his forehead, grabbing the remainder of their bags to follow suit. "We love you no matter what."

_  
Angie (he/him)_

_My dads just got home from their honeymoon and one of the first things they said to me was about the bracelet.  
  
_

_Angie (he/him)_

_This was not how I was expecting to tell them._

_Demmie (he/him)_

_Uhhhhh yeah they're part of the gult too  
  
  
_

_Ash (they/them)_

_LOL I thought you were supposed to be the smart one out of all of us???_

_  
Mimi (she/her)_

_I'm screaming... Angus... tell me you're not actually surprised...._

  
_Alili (she/her)_

_Sorry folks... brain rot is contagious. Another case confirmed._

_  
Alili (she/her)_

_Anyways, you guys want to come over to the reserve tomorrow? My mom made tollumba and we're going to have a movie night_

_  
Mimi (she/her)_

_My brother can drive! He's going to visit his girlfriend, so he can pick the rest of us up and drop us off on the way_

  
"Um," Angus glanced up from his phone as Kravitz and Taako returned from dropping their bags off, slumping on the couch. "My friends are having a sleepover tomorrow, is that okay if I go?"

"Yeah, of course," Kravitz seemed a little surprised. "Where is it?"

"I'm not entirely sure? I'll get the address from Alira- she lives on an indigenous reserve north of here?" He said, and Kravitz nodded in understanding. 

"I've been up there a few times," He nodded, "the people are lovely."

"Yeah, um- Alira's mom made tollumba and she's invited us over to have some."

"Oh?" Taako perked up. "I can send you with sufganiyot too, if you want."

"That would be really nice, thank you," Angus pulled out his phone. "I'll let them know, and I'll get some more directions from Alira. One of my friend's older brother is going to drive us."

_  
Angie (he/him)_

_I can go! Also, my dad has offered to make sufganiyot._

_Demmie (he/him)_

_:0_

_  
Ash (they/them)_

_Hey @Angie @Alili are either of your parents looking for another kid? Because my family's idea of baking is buying cookie dough and then shoving it in the oven_

_  
Ash (they/them)_

_First tollumba, and now sufganiyot???? Man I have work tomorrow and I have no clue how I'm going to get out of it_

_  
Ash (they/them)_

_But I will BE THERE._

"Hey, what are you smiling at, kiddo?" Taako asked, making Angus look up from his phone screen.

"Just my friends," Angus promised. "You'll understand once you meet them." He paused for a second. "Um, have you ever heard of something called a 'gult'?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You fools... the answer was a better support system all along... (no but for real if you haven't found your platonic soulmate(s) yet get on that shit, it makes your life so much better)
> 
> Unrelated, I'm going to be taking a step away from this series for a while- I have a couple of AU oneshots I want to write and I feel like I've sort of fallen into a pit here? Definitely think the more recent chapters haven't been as good so I'm thinking a brain reset might be good for me! That being said, I WILL be coming back- this fic will likely get a bonus chapter filled with the Lup/Barry shenans. I've also got a handful of oneshots planned for this universe (ex. Lucretia and Kravitz taking Taako to meet his birth family) but those won't be up for a while. If there is any oneshot you'd like to see, you can always shoot me an ask on tumblr [@choo-choo-boyzz](https://choo-choo-boyzz.tumblr.com/)
> 
> (I'm trying to learn how to use hyperlinks in author's notes... hopefully that worked)
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading and leaving comments! Stay happy and stay safe <3


End file.
